Legend Of Zelda: the Guardian
by dragoness of storm
Summary: Tales of someone following the Heroes on their quests have been around for almost as long as the Heroes themselves, but just who is this person? The answer lies in the forgotten tale of one Hero. Rated T for violence and mild language. Longer summary inside. Set after SS, before OoT
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: the usual: I do not own anything Zelda or Nintendo related, but I do own MY characters.

Longer Summary- Nearly every Hero has experienced some degree of help in his adventure, but none know who is responsible, or why, except the one known only as the Guardian. This silent sentinal has watched the Heroes during the course of their travels, never revealing herself to anyone willingly. This is her story; one almost as old as the Legend itself.

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><p>Stabbing his sword through the tongue, Link held his breath as the giant frog vanished into a giant puff of black smoke. Immediately a chest appeared, one Link eagerly approached; usually chests that appeared out of nowhere held something useful in these death traps someone called temples. He wedged his fingers under the lid and threw it up as Midna popped out of his shadow to take a look. "What is that?" she asked, staring at the object in the chest.<p>

Link shrugged as he picked up what appeared to be a metal glove with a three-pronged claw at the end. As he tilted it to examine the claw, he saw a scrap of paper that fall out of the inside. Balancing the glove in one hand, he picked up the paper to find it covered in writing written in a firm hand:

_Link, this is a claw-shot. It can pull items towards you if they're lighter than you, or, if you shoot it at a grate, a clump of vines, or something the claw can latch onto that is heavier than you, it will pull you towards it, allowing you to reach recently inaccessible ledges. How it works is simple; just put it on your left hand (or right, whichever you use most) aim the claw where you want it to go, and squeeze the two rods inside together to launch the claw. Stop squeezing the rods to make the claw let go. However, the chain has a limited reach, so you'll need to be in range for the claw to latch on, and please be careful where you aim it; that claw does have sharp blades. And try to keep your feet in front of you before you hit the wall._

Link looked around and saw a high ledge with a grate on one wall before returning his attention to the paper. How did the writer know that he would need something like this now? And how did they know his name, and that he was left-handed? The shade of a former Hero teaching him forgotten skills he could understand, a mysterious person leaving behind useful items (with instructions!) he could not. He hoped that he would find this person soon; he hated mysteries. Until then, he had a new weapon to try out.

Slipping his left hand into the claw-shot, he aimed at the grate over the ledge. "Uh, Mr. Hero, do you know what you're doing?" Midna asked from his shadow.

"Yes," he replied, working his fingers around the thin rods he felt inside. _I hope,_ he added silently. He squeezed the rods together and watched the claw shoot off with a slight _whirrr_, trailing a fine chain behind it. A loud click echoed throughout the chamber as the claw latched onto the grate.

Link only had a second to marvel at the perfect shot before the glove-like half dragged him into the air to rejoin the claw. He laughed at the sensation of flying and didn't notice the wall coming until too late. He tried to get his feet in front of him…

…and slammed face-first into the wall.

Hysterical laughter erupted from his shadow as Link released the rods, and therefore the claw, and dropped lightly to the ground. "Oh shut up," he growled. "I'd like to see to try that." The laughter only increased as he scowled at the claw-shot. Obviously he needed to practice with this one before going up against whatever terror lay in wait at the bottom of this goddess-forsaken place.

Giving his shadow one last glare, the Hero stalked out of the empty room…or at least what he thought was an empty room.

ooo000ooo

Concealed in a hidden alcove from where she had watched the fight, the cloaked figure slowly removed her hand from where she had slapped it to her forehead the minute Link had slammed himself into the wall. Honestly, she'd thought she had made it clear that he needed to keep his feet in front of him just for that reason! Men! Why didn't any of them listen to her directions? What did she have to do to make them understand: draw a picture?

Pulling on her lower lip, she thought reconsidered what she'd done. Maybe she should have given him the hook-shot instead (it was safer)…but that was only good for wood, and he needed something to latch onto metal. No, he need the claw-shot was what he needed right now, even if he had ignored her warning.

She sighed and calmed herself. It would've happened one way or another, and it was better that happened here instead of the boss chamber. At least she remembered the instructions this time, unlike when the Hero of Time got the Hover Boots in the old Shadow Temple and she didn't leave him a note saying the boots didn't have any traction. He had run straight into a wall trying to stop after crossing one of the numerous pits littering that place the first time he had them on. She still remembered his interesting choice of curses he'd unknowingly aimed at her for not leaving directions.

Smiling slightly at the memory, she slipped a blue instrument out of her pocket and played a short, bright song. She vanished in a flash of golden light, leaving the Hero and his guide to finish clearing the Lakebed Temple alone. Although it pained her to do it, she knew she had to. The only way she had remained anonymous was by remaining in the shadows, guiding the Heroes without ever revealing her part in their legends. She watched from the edge of the battlefield as Hyrule's last lines of defense pit themselves against a relentless evil.

The golden light took her to the ruins of a once impressive temple, but she was not distracted by the remains of the intricate masonry or by the memory of how it had once looked many years ago. Instead she walked right through a false wall at the back and up a short flight of stairs. There, in a large clearing, rested the object that had started it all. It gleamed dully in the dapple light that shone through the trees, giving the mist around it an ethereal glow.

"Only a little while longer, my friend," she said. "He will be here soon enough." She looked up at the sheltering trees. "And then his true trials will begin."

She had never wanted this, but there was no one else who could relieve her of her duty. Only she could guard the Heroes on their impossible quests. She knew that all too well. She knew it the moment Danielle had been murdered. No, that was not right; she knew it the day she first met _him_.

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><p>Author's Note: So...um...yeah, that's the prologue. Please read and review, but be kind: this is my first one, but before you asked, I know I said this was supposed to be in-between Skyward Sword and Ocarina of Time, and this scene's in Twilight Princess, but this is to just set up how the Guardian works. And yes, you will find out who she is in later chapters.<p> 


	2. A Secret Council

FYI: the Link here is not from any of the games, and the layout of Hyrule will be the one from Ocarina of Time. Special thanks to spell check for catching all the errors I kept doing.

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><p>Hyrule Castle, the end of the Age of the Interlopers, approx. 150 years after the Hero of the Sky.<p>

Leaning back in his chair, Link sighed. A month had passed since he had assisted the army in rounding up the last of the Interlopers. _Ha, "assisted"?_ He thought. _More like "go kill yourself going up against the strongest sorcerers while everyone else cowers behind the rocks."_ He sighed. Why did he agree to such a dangerous mission? He could have stayed at home minding his family's ranch instead of trekking all over the kingdom hunting down an elusive tribe of dark magic users.

But for all his complaints, he knew that there was no way that he could have remained at the ranch. Something deep down had told him to join the army, the same sense that told him where to find the sword that now hung over his shoulder. He couldn't have ignored it, not after what he'd seen the Interlopers do with his own eyes.

And now he was called "Hero" for defeating Karamus, the strongest of the Interlopers. The fall of their leader made the others accepted their defeat with little to no resistance, but he could still see their eyes as they were lead, one by one, to the Mirror, banished to a shadow world forever. All of them were dim, without hope, _lifeless_. The worst were the children. The king had demanded that the leaders be executed and rest banished through the mirror. There were no exceptions.

He pushed the thought aside. That ordeal was now in the past; he had other things to worry about. He now sat in a dim room deep within the castle with the king, his most trusted advisor, and representatives from all the races of Hyrule. Such a group had never gathered before, but the reason they had encompassed the entire kingdom. Every race had a right to take part in what must be done, but he couldn't figure out why he was in this room in the first place. All he did was shove a sword through where a heart was suppose to be in an evil sorcerer. To be honest, he'd even been surprised that the bastard even had a heart.

King Daphne Hyrule stood at the head of the table where they all sat. "You know why we have gathered here," he said in his deep voice. "The victory we have recently won could be so only through the power of one object." He looked at Link. "Bring forth the sword, Hero."

Link rose from his place at the far end and slowly drew the Master Sword from its sheath on his back. The blade gleamed unnaturally bright in the dim lighting as he set it down on the table, hinting at the power stored within it. Murmurs ran through those assembled as they beheld the legendary blade.

Daphne raised his hands for quiet. "This sword was found in a once secure location, but the recent events have caused the location to be known to many of our foes. Those here today are the wisest and most powerful of their respected races. We must find a way to combine our powers to protect this sword from ever being used against us."

"Why?" Link asked. "It is called the Blade of Evil's Bane for a reason: evil cannot touch it."

"Evil cannot touch it, but there is the chance that someone may be able to use it against us," Daphne replied. "We cannot allow even the possibility of some new evil gaining control of it. It must be protected for all time. The natural magic of Hyrule must combine to do this."

"And just how do you propose to do that?" a harsh voice demanded. Link looked at Navarra, the matriarch of the Gerudo Thieves. "The magic of the desert is far different that the one in this soft land. Like oil and water, they cannot mix."

"The thief is correct." This came from Ivan, the Sheikah. "There is no way to truly combine our powers. A heavily layered spell it the next best option, but as I'm sure as the thief can tell you, layered spells are easily broken."

"I have a name, you know," Navarra hissed. "And I highly suggest that you use it, Interloper."

Ivan growled at the insult, and Link was beginning to see why these two races stayed as far away from each other as possible. For all their similarities, being secretive and rarely allowing anyone outside their bloodlines enter their ranks, they hated each other for some reason that no one knew.

Just as Ivan opened his mouth respond with what was most likely another insult, Daren of the Gorons slapped a huge fist down on the table, making it shudder. "Enough!" he boomed. "This is far more important than your pride! This is the fate of all Hyrule, not just of your desert, your caverns, the mountains, or the lake. Set aside your pride and work together to save the generations that will follow you!"

The room was silent for several moments following the Goron's speech. Then Rauru, the king's advisor, stood. "Ivan made a point that is valid; a layered spell is easily broken or bypassed, but Navarra also has a point that our powers cannot mix. It seems we are at an impasse."

"Maybe they can mix, but you haven't found a way yet." Everyone looked at the shortest person sitting at the table. Dressed entirely in green with a pink fairy sitting on her shoulder, Tamera of the Kokiri smiled up at them. "I mean, how do you think I got here without too much of a problem?"

Link frowned. How was she able to stay away from the forest without any complications? Everyone who knew about the Kokiri knew that they could never leave the forest, so how did Tamera manage to come the castle?

"Yes how did you come here?" asked Azure of the Zoras asked before draining a glass of water, his fifth so far. "I thought your kind could never leave the forest."

"No we can't normally, not without risking our lives," Tamera replied. "I was able to leave because of this." She pulled out a green pendent in the shape of a leaf.

"What is that?" Rauru said softly, leaning closer for a better look.

"This is a charm that a sorceress gave me when I was chosen to come here," Tamera answered. "From what she told me, it converts any surrounding magic into the one of the forest, keeping me alive. It only works around natural magic, so I can't leave Hyrule, but I can leave the forest with no ill effects, for now at least." She smiled ruefully. "I'll have to go back eventually to recharge the spell. It's not meant to last forever."

The silence in the room was almost tangible. Then everyone jumped as Ivan spoke; "Are you saying that this pendent will convert _any_ natural magic?"

"'Be it desert or field, light or shadow, water or fire, this pendent shall convert any natural magic into that of the forest.' Those were her exact words," Tamera replied.

"Din, Nayru, and Farore," Navarra whispered. "She's done it. This sorceress has found the connection between them all."

"Which means she could do the impossible and weave them all together," Ivan added. "This is incredible."

Everyone but Link seemed to be in awe. He didn't know much about magic (he only knew when to run away from a potentially dangerous spell), and though he could tell that what this sorceress had done was unheard of, he had no idea what they were talking about. He leaned forward. "Could someone please explain for those who have no idea what you're all talking about? What connection?"

"In order for Tamara's pendent to convert any magic to forest magic, there must be a connection between the different forms to serve as a focal point," Rauru said. "The best way to explain the connection is the relationship between a plant and water. Without water, the plant will die, thus a connection and a focal point to convert water to forest. What this sorceress has done is what so many before have failed to do: find the common connection between the different powers that shape Hyrule. She can weave a spell that can contain all the strengths of each one and none of the weaknesses."

"So what you're saying is that this sorceress is the answer to our problem," the king stated.

Rauru nodded. "If we can enlist her help, then the Master Sword can be safe for all eternity."

"That won't be easy," Tamara chimed in. "She won't it out of the goodness of her heart: she'll demand a hefty price. This pendent was made on the condition that she could remain in the Lost Woods."

"Why would she want to live in the Lost Woods?" Azure asked, half-way through his seventh glass of water. The pitcher before him was half-empty. "Those trees are dangerous to Hylians."

"She's been there for many years," the Kokiri shrugged. "She hasn't turned into a Stalfos like all the others."

"If permission to remain in the Lost Woods results in a pendent to protect a Kokiri," Ivan mused out loud, "what would we have to offer her to protect the sword?"

"We will have to send a messenger to ask," Daphne replied, "but it must be one who is from this council. No one else must know."

"I cannot," Daren boomed. "Winter is almost upon the Gorons in the mountains and we must stockpile as much food as possible before we are snowed in."

"I also cannot go," Azure chimed in. "Zoras cannot stay out of the water for the time it may take to convince her."

"Raiders are due in the desert," Navarra added. "I must be with my sisters to repel their attacks."

"The Sheikah have important matters to deal with." This quiet remark came from Ivan. "I must be present at our council."

"Your Majesty needs me here," Rauru said. "And I am far too old to be travelling this late in the year."

"She won't listen to any of the Kokiri, just the Great Deku Tree, but even then she may not listen." Tamara smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but I'm no help there."

Then everyone looked down the table at Link. "Absolutely not," he said. He could see exactly where this was going, but there was no way he was going to let them talk him into it. This was not his area of expertise. For all he cared, this wasn't even his problem, even if an inner voice was screaming for him to go. "No. I'm not going to the Lost Woods."

"We are not asking you to fight her," the king said. "Just talk to her. Find out her price to perform this task."

"No," Link repeated firmly. "I've already gone up against one sorcerer. I'm not doing it again. Karamus tried killed me on sight. What makes you think this one won't do the same?"

"Because she one of the 'ask questions now and kill later' sort," Tamara replied. "She won't attack you just for asking questions. Well, at least she won't for asking intelligent questions."

Link glared at her. "That's comforting to know." He became aware of Navarra staring intently at him from across the table. "What?"

"How old are you, kid?" Navarra asked.

Link turned to face the Gerudo. "What?"

"How old are you?"

"Eight-eighteen," he stuttered, slightly confused at where the conversation was going now.

"You married?"

"No."

"Engaged?"

"No."

"Then just walk into the Woods with your shirt off. That should distract her from killing you for a while," Navarra said with a smile. Her golden eyes lingered on Link's chest. "An attractive, single, strong young man walking alone, Din knows it would work at the Fortress."

Link bit back a retort as everyone burst out laughing. Of course the matriarch of a nearly all-female tribe would say that. He glowered at her as the rest of the council regained their composure. Daren was wiping tears from his eyes, something Link had never seen a Goron do before.

"In all seriousness, Link, you are the only one here who can do this," the king said when everyone caught their breath. "The rest of us are bound by our duties to our people. For the sake of all of Hyrule, you must go to the Lost Woods and plead with the sorceress to aid us."

Link stood up and looked the king in the eye. "No, Your Majesty, I will not go. I barely escape dying from one sorcerer; I will not risk death again confronting another. I have done my duty to Hyrule. It is time for me to go home."

The council murmured, but Link kept his gaze locked on the king. He hoped that his gaze would tell the king that he was simply _not going_.

"Are you still a solider of Hyrule?" the king asked.

"Yes," Link answered.

"Then I, Daphne Hyrule, King of this land, call upon you to fulfill your oath that you have taken to defend the realm. You must journey to the Lost Woods and seek the aid of the sorceress who resides there. Do you accept this mission?"

Link sat back in his chair, stunned. He hadn't seen this one coming, and he kicked himself for it. Daphne had subtly ordered him to go, and to decline would be defying the king. Army rules stated that a solider could not leave if he had any missions he had yet to complete. He was trapped.

_So much for going home, _he thought. With a feeling of complete helplessness and reluctance, Link looked back at the king. "When do I leave?"

"You accept then?"

"Yes."

"Then you leave in two days at dawn. Tamara, can you take him to where the sorceress lives?"

Tamara smiled. "I'll point him down the right path." She looked at the down-trodden Link. "After that, you're on your own."

Link snorted. Wasn't he always on his own? Sweet Farore, couldn't they find someone else to do this?

"Relax, kid. All you got to do is talk to her," Navarra said with a wink. "If all else fails; just take your shirt off."

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><p>Author's Note: So here's chapter one in all its "setting the scene" glory. I know some of the characters names aren't all that fancy, but I just didn't feel like coming up with weird ones for those on the Council. Anyways, please please please PLEASE read and review. First one gets a virtual homemade cookie.<p> 


	3. Into the Forest

Chapter two up, and this time, less dialogue, more action! And special thanks to zeldapedia for the spelling on all the upcoming creatures.

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><p>Entrance to the Kokiri Forest.<p>

Link looked at the trees before him and let out a low curse. Here he was about to enter a forest no one had ever returned from to talk to a sorceress that clearly didn't want to be found, and after he swore to never talk to another sorcerer again. And all because everyone else had ready-made excuses for them to remain at home.

He cursed again and felt a hard poke in his back. Twisting around in the saddle, he looked down at Tamera who sat behind him. "Watch your language," she teased. "There are children present."

Link rolled his eyes. "Tamera, you have no idea how much I want to be as far away from here as possible," he said. "I never wanted to come here or talk to a sorceress, so until this whole thing is over, I'll curse whenever I feel like no matter whose around."

"Suit yourself," Tamera shrugged, "but I wouldn't talk that way around the sorceress like that if I were you." She looked around. "We better go on foot from here."

Link nodded and dismounted his stallion Chaser, one of the horses from his ranch. He helped Tamera down from the huge draft horse before taking the reins in one hand. "Do I leave him here?"

The Kokiri shook her head as she took the reins from him. "We'll take care of him where we live. It is not wise for you to take him with you where you're going."

"Oh great," he murmured. "Wonderful. Can't take your oldest friend with you on what could be your last journey." With a feeling of dread, he followed Tamera into the shadows of the trees.

The minute the grassland disappeared from sight, he could tell why this part of the forest was called the Lost Woods; everything looked the same all around, but Tamera walked on with Chaser behind her, possessing a confidence that one only had knowing this place like the back of her hand, which she most likely did. Link quickly lost all sense of direction as the Kokiri followed a twisting path through the dark trees. He did notice that though autumn's chill had entered the forest, none of the trees had dropped their leaves. It was as though they still belived it was summer.

A high-pitched giggling made him stop and pull out the sword he'd borrowed from the castle armory. He'd left the Master Sword behind at the request of the Rauru, the advisor assuring him that the sword would be temporarily safe at the castle. He looked around at the surrounding trees, but saw nothing.

"Skull Kids," Tamera said calmly. "Mischief makers, but they won't bother you as long as you stay on the path. There's around three of them who live here."

"What are they exactly?" Link asked, slowly putting his sword away.

"I really have no idea," Tamera answered. "But this is where we part ways." She gestured at the ground before them. The faint signs of a path ran to the right hand side. "This trail leads to where the sorceress lives. Stay on it, but you will need to be careful: Mad Scrubs and Stalfos roam that part of the Woods, so when you see them, you're close, but don't worry too much. They're the only evil creatures there. You have faced a Stalfos before right?" She looked up at him up at him with a questioning look.

"I've faced worse things than a Stalfos," Link sighed. He thought back to Karamus and the creatures he'd conquered in the search for the sword. "Believe me."

Tamera smiled. "Good. They won't bother you once you reach the sorceress's home, but the trick is getting there before sunset. That's when the Stalchilds come out. Whatever you do, _do not leave the path_. If you do, chances are you will never be seen again."

Link nodded. "Right. Stay on the path, but don't take too long and avoid anything that tries to kill me." A thought occurred to him. "Does the sorceress have a name? I've never heard you mention it before."

Tamera shook her head. "We all call her Sorceress, which doesn't seem to bother her. Now you better get going, or the Skull Kids might start dropping Deku nuts on your head." Seeing Link's face, she chuckled. "It's one of their more common pranks. See you later, and _stay on the path!_" With that, she led Chaser deeper into the trees and disappeared.

Link watched them go before turning around. Studying the ground before him, he quickly came to the conclusion that he would have to split his time between finding the path and keeping an eye out for potential enemies and low hanging branches. Squaring his shoulders, he forged on ahead. Was that music he was hearing?

ooo0ooo

Trying to watch two things at once was easier said than done. Every tenth step Link either tripped over a tree root or smacked himself with a low hanging branch. To make matters worse, at least two Skull Kids were following him, laughing every time he hurt himself. He murmured a curse as a particularly whippy branch slapped him right above the eye, leaving a welt a good two inches long. He heard the Skull Kids laughing hysterically above him. At least someone was having fun.

He'd been walking for nearly two hours, and, though the shadows had deepened as the sun inched closer to the west, the Lost Woods hadn't changed a bit. The music he had heard earlier had gotten louder and it revealed itself to be a fairly bouncy tune, but it was coming from a completely different direction than where he appeared to be heading, so he decided to ignore it and move on.

A trio of spitting sounds made him draw his sword again. He looked around and saw nothing, but when the spitting came again, he realized it was coming from somewhere deeper in the woods. _Probably one of those creatures, what did she call them? Mad Scrubs,_ he thought to himself, and then mentally kicked himself. He'd forgotten to ask what a Mad Scrub was. Hopefully they were not worse than a Stalfos.

Link pressed onward, but he kept his sword out just in case. More spitting noises came from within the trees, but they seemed to be staying in certain spots. The Skull Kids still chattered and laughed above him, but he ignored them. They were nothing more than mere annoyances.

He kept going for a few more feet before he froze. The Skull Kids had gone quiet. In fact, the entire forest had gone quiet. Although he was no forest expert, he knew mischief-makers, having been one himself years ago, and the only time they ever got quiet was when trouble was afoot. This didn't feel like a prank they might pull; the inner voice that had gotten him into this mess was screaming for him to get out of there now.

He quickened his pace till he was jogging down the path. He wanted out of there, now. He kept his ears pricked for any sound, any at all.

And then he heard it: the dry clinking of bones. The Stalfos were here, but they weren't alone. A piercing howl rent the still air. Tamara was wrong. Another breed of creatures roamed here: Wolfos. Though he had never faced one of the wolf-like creatures himself, he had heard the stories, and none were good. Gripping his sword tightly, he began to run.

However, four feet were more than a match for two, and soon he could see a large grey mass loping through the trees off to his right. Briefly he considered climbing a trees and hiding in the branches, but he dismissed the idea; the Wolfos had his scent and his blue-and–purple Hylian army uniform was not ideal for hiding in trees. No, there was no way he would be able to out-run these creatures. He was going to have to fight.

Sliding to a stop, he took a firmer grip on his sword and watched the shape of the Wolfos as it circled him. "Come on, come on," he breathed. "I haven't got all day."

A snarl was the only warning he got as _another_ Wolfos charged from behind. Battle-hardened reflexes made him jump to the side, but not fast enough; the Wolfos's front claws ripped through his tunic. Thankfully they glanced off the light chainmail he wore underneath.

Rolling off to the side, Link found himself behind one and quickly lopped its head off before it could turn on him. He blinked as the monster disappeared into black smoke before his eyes. The second had nimbly leapt away from his sword. The Wolfos watched him with hungry yellow eyes as it paced back and forth for several minutes. Then it howled as it charged again.

Acting purely on instinct, he rolled forward to meet the Wolfos halfway and shove his sword into its stomach. It gave a yelp as the sword sank deep into its fur before it too vanished in a burst of black smoke. He had little time to think about the black smoke as the glowing red eyes and grinning skulls of Stalfos appeared, and these were the nasty kind; the ones armed with two rusty swords. Karamus had used these as bodyguards.

Link cursed again as he realized that he had no bombs on him. His desire to travel light had resulted in him leaving most of his equipment behind. All he had were his sword, a lantern, and a few Deku nuts. There would be no lighting the fuse and running away as he'd done before. He would have to do this the old fashioned way, but this was going to hurt; there were _three_ of them for Nayru's sake.

One ran stepped within range of his sword with its own spread wide apart. Link tried to cleave it from top to bottom, but the walking skeleton quickly crossed the blades, causing the soldier to almost stumble into the swinging blades of another. A lucky side-step saved him, and the blades meant for him instead shattered both the ribcage and the spine of the first, resulting in a pair of boney legs running around in circles and an irate upper body intent on trying to kill him. Link had little time to appreciate this as the third one came to face him with blades swinging. Having no time to block, Link rolled under the blades and brought his sword around in an arc that smashed the grinning skull off the torso and into a nearby tree.

Immediately the headless skeleton began swinging wildly as the last intact one advanced on him. Again acting on instinct, he took advantage of a split-second opening and leapt into the air, bringing the sword down on the skeleton's head. The result was bittersweet; the Stalfos he had been targeting shattered into a myriad of bone fragments, but the powerful strike had brought him in range of both the legless one and the headless one.

The legless one shoved one of its swords halfway through Link's right thigh, hitting the bone, while one of the headless one's wild swings scored a deep gash through his chainmail on his side. Howling in pain, he smashed the legless one's head into the ground and shattered the headless one's body with a diagonal slash.

Panting, he lay on his back as his body screamed to him about the recent abuse it had just received. He'd never before faced more than two of them at the same time. One was a pain, two were a challenge, three…? Three was a flat-out death wish.

With a few well-chosen oaths, he pushed himself into a sitting position and took stock of his injuries. The one on his leg was the worse, but both it and the gash on his side were bleeding profusely, so he tore strips from his tunic and bound them in an attempt to stave off blood loss. Hopefully the sorceress either knew a good healer or was one herself; he didn't want to think about the infections brought on by being stabbed with rusted metal.

Once he was sure he wouldn't die of blood loss anytime soon, Link awkwardly pulled himself to his feet and looked around. Surprisingly, he was still on the path, but the shadows had darkened even further; sunset was near. He had to find the sorceress soon, or he was going to be swarmed by the Stalchilds: smaller, less aggressive skeletons that overwhelmed their victims by sheer numbers. Giving a last look around, he noticed that the remains of the Stalfos had vanished just like the Wolfos. He shrugged, picked up his sword, and began to limp down the path. He had other things to worry about.

The last light of the sun shone weakly through the trees, promoting the scrabbling of the Stalchilds emerging from the surrounding earth. Link pushed himself as fast as he could go, but even the slow moving skeletons were able to catch up with him. At least they were unintelligent and easy to dispatch, two swipes and they vanished into bone fragments and black smoke, but for every one he struck down, two more stepped in to take its place. His leg was slowly refusing to bear his weight, and the added exertions were sapping his strength.

A tree root protruding across the path caught his foot, causing him to trip and hit the ground with a loud _crack_. He'd landed heavily on his left knee, fracturing it. He swore and swung his sword around behind him, dispatching four Stalchilds creeping up behind him, before using a nearby tree to pull himself upright.

Unfortunately, he didn't hear the _sritch-sritch_ of the golden spider climbing the trunk. He did feel the sharp pain as the spider bit his wrist. Quickly pulling his hand away, Link stared at the rather large spider with the skull-patterned back. It was a Gold Skulltula, a highly venomous spider well-known for being a source for curses directed towards the greedy.

Link could feel the venom spread down his arm. He really needed a healer now, but all he could manage was a slow stumble down the path. Pain began to blur the edges of his vision as a howl resounded through the forest. There were more Wolfos about, and they had his scent. He turned around, shaking slightly on his feet. _Might as well face death face to face_, he thought.

A pack of five Wolfos crashed out of the trees and charged straight at him. Gritting his teeth, he raised his sword in the guard stance he'd learned long ago in basic. Link was a solider of Hyrule, and he would die like one, and that required that he take as many of these foul monsters to the grave with him.

The first one leapt at him from only five feet away. Link readied himself to thrust his sword into its gaping maw, but the moment never came. A low _thrum_ vibrated the air and an arrow appeared in the creature's eye. The Wolfos fell at Link's feet, who looked at it dazed. Several more arrows hummed through the air and dispatched two more before the others turned around, disappearing into the trees with several yelps.

Link turned around and saw a figure in a black cloak holding a bow. Although the hood concealed any identifying features, he could tell that his rescuer was a woman. Before he could thank her, two Stalchilds chose to erupt from the ground at that moment and attack his already damaged legs. He swung his sword at one, reducing it to bits of bone and black smoke like its predecessors, but his leg with the stab wound collapsed underneath him and sent him sprawling. He flipped over on his back to see the remaining Stalchild advance on him, one claw-like hand raised to finish him off.

A flash of steel split the short skeleton in two before it reached him. Link blinked and looked up to see the black-cloak woman holding a short, slightly curved sword in one gloved hand. He opened his mouth to thank her, but a sharp spike of pain erupted from the bit on his wrist, causing him to curl up in a ball and clutch at it. The last sensation he felt was a hand covered in silk lightly touching his face before he blacked out…

* * *

><p>Author's Note- Told ya there'd be action, and we see our mysterious cloaked woman again! Anyways, you know the drill, R&amp;R, virtual cookies to the reviewers, and all that jazz, but before anyone asks: no, I really don't know the plural forms for Stalfos or Wolfos, so they're like the word "moose" and can be singular or plural, depending on the situation. As for Stalchild, I'm going with Stalchilds to make life somewhat easier for me (I was at war with spell check on this chapter!).<p> 


	4. The Sorceress

_He fell through a maelstrom of colors and sounds. He had no memory of where he was or even who he was . A thin barrier of sparkling blue-violet light surrounded him, turning back the seeking tendrils the maelstrom threw at him. He struggled to find some memory or scene to know who he was, but he could get a grip on anything. All he saw were half-formed imagines of people running, accompanied by screaming and the crash of steel on steel._

_A scene formed before him: women screamed as they ran away from a tall figure in black robes. One young boy charged at the figure with armed nothing but a stout wooden stick. The figure easy evaded the boy's wild swings and carelessly threw him into the nearby field. The village around them burned as the figure laughed... _

_The image was torn away, but another soon replaced it: a squad of soldiers stood their ground as the same black-robed figure stood before them in the mouth of a cave. Blasts of dark orange magic shot out from the figure's hands, almost incinerating two of the soldiers as another, the young boy from before, now grown, came from the back of the cave, holding a long object. As it caught the light, he realized it was a sword, one that looked oddly familiar. The newcomer swung the sword at the figure, but it jumped away with a snarl. With a series of blindingly fast blasts, the figure flew into the air and out of sight. The soldier cried out as he saw that his comrades lay on the ground, dead. He sank to his knees and screamed to the sky as this image was also torn away…_

_The sounds and images faded into white. He looked around to get his bearings, but saw nothing. Then another black-cloaked figure, this one obviously female, approached him. She shone with the same blue-violet light that formed the barrier around him and looked familiar, as though he had seen her before, but her face was hidden by her hood and a black mask. He backed away from her when she reached out to him with one black-gloved hand. Something inside told him this woman was trying to help, but an unnamed fear gripped him and screamed for him to run._

"Come back, Hero," _she said, her voice echoing in the white emptiness._ "You have almost gone too far for me to aide you. I cannot help you unless you come back."

_Shaking his head, he gave into the fear and ran away from her. _"No, wait!" _she cried. He turned around to look at her, but he tripped and fell back into the maelstrom. The howl of color and sound engulfed him, threatening to overwhelm the thin barrier between him and it. He could tell that the barrier could only survive for so long and it was reaching its limits._

_Another scene appeared before him: a natural depression in the earth, lined with jagged rocks. The same figure stood in the center, hands upraised, as dark orange lightning repeatedly struck the ground around it. Looking down from above, he could see the soldier he was apparently following crouched on a boulder, holding the sword he had found in the cave. The soldier looked back and saw that the others who had come with him were cowering in any source of cover they could find. The young man's face hardened as he returned his gaze to the figure down below. He was on his own._

_With a battle-cry, the soldier jumped down and swung at the figure, who instantly blocked with a sword that it had just conjured out of thin air. The soldier seemed unfazed as it immediately went through a complicated pattern of strikes and blows. Obviously the solider had trained heavily in between encounters, but the figure block each and every one of the blows directed towards him and retaliated with a barrage of downward chops that would've cleaved the soldier in half had he not blocked or evade them._

_The duel went on for what felt like an eternity, with neither side gaining the upper hand, but he could see that the soldier was tiring. There was no way he could keep up this pace. The black figure seemed to sense this, for it pressed the attack even further, conjuring several magic blasts into the fight that made the soldier let out a short cry of despair at the added challenge. Then the soldier feinted to the left and whipped his sword up to the figure's face, a dark red spray following it; he had drawn blood. The figure froze for a moment before letting out a shriek that caused the soldier to cover his ears._

_Though the duel continued, the situation had changed dramatically. The figure's movements became wilder and more unpredictable as the soldier struggled to evade the flashing steel. The soldier dealt several more slashes that drew blood, but this only enraged the figure further. It moved with a speed that should have been impossible for someone with so many injuries, but it had seemed that it had forgotten that it could use magic, a fact that the soldier noticed with considerable relief._

_An opening appeared in the figure's defensives; one that the solder took advantage of immediately. With a cry of desperation for the duel to end, he sunk his blade deep into the figure's chest, the point protruding several inches from the back of the figure._

_Looking down at the sword, the figure raised its face to the sky and screamed as dark orange light shone from the mortal wound. It spread until it engulfed the figure, and then exploded, knocking the soldier on his back. The figure was gone, seemingly shattered by his own magic. _

_The soldier tried to rise, but collapsed onto the ground, unmoving…_

_Whiteness descended once more, and the woman appeared before him._ "You have been struck down by a great evil, Hero," _she said._ "I can only shield you from the pain that threatens to consume you, but only for so long. If you wish to live, you must let me help you. You must come back."

"Why?" _he spoke for the first time._ "Why should I come back?"

"Only you know the answer to that. I can only help you return if you wish. That choice is yours and yours alone_." She extended a hand towards him._

_He looked at her offered hand. Fear gripped him again, but he pushed it back. Fear had not saved him last time. The inner voice from before told him to trust her, and he could sense the maelstrom closing in around him. With one last deep breath, he took her hand._

_Immediately the maelstrom broke through the whiteness and sought to consume him. It was not going to let him go without a fight and sent dozens of tendrils to grab him. The woman tightened her grip on him and pulled him behind her_. "You shall not have him," _she said, her voice suddenly deeper and more terrible than before. A wall of blue-violet fire appeared before her_. "Go back to the darkness from whence you came, you twisted shadow!"_The maelstrom seemed to laugh at her words, but the woman stood her ground, obviously waiting for something. After a moment, the maelstrom charged at them._

_The woman made a pushing motion with her free hand and the wall of fire raced toward the swirling mass. A shriek similar to the one the black figure made as it had been pierced came from the maelstrom as the fire came into contact with the tendrils. It tried to bring them back, but the fire pursued them until it reached the main body._

_There it stopped, to the obviously displeasure of the woman._ "I don't think so," _she snarled. She pushed again, and the wall of fire resumed its pursuit of the maelstrom. The dark mass screamed again as it was consumed by the flames, but the woman just stood there, watching her creation eradicated the foul blot._

_When the last of the maelstrom disappeared, she turned and addressed him._ "Do you know who you are?" _she asked._

"Yes." _His mind felt clearer than it had in a long time._ "I am the orphaned son of a rancher. I am the soldier of the Hylian Army who slew the great sorcerer who threatened this land." _He turned and looked directly at the woman._

"I am Link."

ooo0ooo

The first thing Link noticed was that he was warm and dry. He could feel some sort of light pressure around his wrist, lower torso, and both legs, as well as a light blanket covering him. There was a series of soft metallic thuds on a wooden surface, as though someone nearby was chopping something, followed closely by a splash as objects were dropped into water.

Opening his eyes, he saw that he was in a bed that was obviously designed for someone much smaller pushed in the corner of a one room house. Light streaming through the four windows space throughout the room revealed the time to be around midday. Across from him stood a dark wardrobe covered in twisted symbols that shone dully with a blue-violet light. They seemed vaguely familiar. Turning his head to right, he saw a table standing between him and the silhouette of a woman who faced the fire in the grate, stirring something in a pot.

Wanting to make a good impression for his host, Link tired to push himself into a sitting position, but a sharp pain stopped him. He looked down and saw white bandages wrapped around his right wrist. He lifted the blanket a bit to see more around his stomach, and he felt more around his right thigh and left knee. It also didn't escape his notice that he only wore his underwear. He leaned back and growled a curse at the indignity.

The sound made the woman by the fire turn around. "Ah, you're awake." She came over holding a tray laden with a bowl, a cup, and several bottles. Setting the tray on the little table nearby, she drew up one of the few chairs. "How do you feel?"

"My wrist hurts when move it, but otherwise I'm fine." He stared at her, wondering who in their right mind would wear a cloak indoors with the hood up and a mask as well as elbow-length gloves.

The lower half of her face twisted into a wry smile. "You, fine? I don't think so." She tapped his side with a gloved finger and nodded when he winced. "That trick may work with other healers, but you are far from a full recovery." Turning to the tray, she added a bit of this and that from the bottles into the cup before she handed it to him. "Drink this."

Link eyed the concoction. It was a deep purple, and one of the first things he learned in the army was to never drink anything purple or black. Sending a brief prayer to whichever goddess was listening at the time, he tipped his head back and swallowed it in one. "Great Golden Goddesses, that was disgusting!" he choked, grimacing at the slimly aftertaste. He felt some of the pain fade, but not a lot.

"You're lucky I had some Rare Chu jelly and fresh fairy dust on hand," the woman replied. "Usually I have to make do with Red Chu jelly, mashed bee larva, and whatever mushrooms I can find. It works, but tastes like decaying Dodongo." She took the cup from him.

Link let his eyes roll up to the ceiling. "Why are all healers' potions terrible?" he asked. Then he looked at her. "Decaying Dodongo?"

"Don't ask. As for why all potions taste disgusting, that's to help discourage people from hurting themselves too often." The woman handed him the bowl, which Link took cautiously. "It's just soup," she said reproachfully. "It has nothing disgusting in it." Laughter came from outside and the woman sighed. "What now?" she murmured as she went to the window.

After the taste of the potion, Link felt uneasy about the soup, but his stomach had now woken up and demanded that he eat. Cautiously sampling a spoonful he had been expecting to spit it back out, he found it to be fairly good. He took a few more bites, but had to stop when his stomach lurched unpleasantly. Carefully setting the bowl back on the table, he grimaced as his body now informed him of the abuse he had subjected it to.

A virulent curse made him look up to see the woman holding a bow with a nocked arrow, clearly aiming at something out the window. Drawing back the string, she held it for a moment before releasing the arrow. A yelp came from outside, followed closely by what sounded like a low explosion.

"Wolfos," the woman murmured. "They've never been in this part of the forest before, but that's the second one this week. So what is making them come here now? And how did a Gold Skulltula get here?" She tapped the windowsill, apparently lost in thought. "They say that the Sorcerer King is dead, so why do his minions still roam this land and dare the places no one else would?"

Shrugging, she turned around and noticed Link watching her. "So how was it?" she asked with a mocking tone.

Link grimaced apologetically. "It was good, but I could only handle a few spoonfuls."

She came over with a frown and laid the back of her hand against his forehead. "Figures," she said. "You had a violent fever that refused to break for almost a week, and you're still a little warm."

Link stared at her. "A week?" he said.

The woman nodded. "You had been bitten by a Gold Skulltula when I found you being chased by Wolfos and surrounded by Stalchilds. That alone would not have been too much of problem for me, but you also had a stab wound on your leg and a gash on your side from a Stalfos's blade, and both had gotten infected."

Link nodded as she spoke, remembering his trek through the Lost Woods. He suddenly remembered the woman in the black cloak. "Were you the one who saved me?" he asked.

The woman nodded. "The Skull Kids warned me when they heard the first Wolfos come after you. I wish I could've showed up earlier, but I was…delayed."

Link noticed the pause in her statement, but decided it was nothing. "So if the Skull Kids know you, are you the Sorceress that lives here?"

"…Yes." The woman's tone changed slightly, sounding wary. "Were you with Tamera earlier?"

Link nodded.

"Then you can tell that council that I'm not coming." Her voice was ice-cold as the Sorceress turned away from him. "You can tell them I will never ally myself with that murderer who calls himself a king."

The harshness of her words surprised him. Never before had he ever heard someone speak of the king with such distain. Never, at least, until he had started his hunt for Karamus and his followers. The survivors had said similar things when he caught them. Turning his gaze to the wardrobe, he recognized several of the symbols, and then it hit him.

"You're an Interloper," he said firmly, looking directly at her. "Aren't you?"

"And if I am, what are you going to do about it, Link?" She turned and caught his surprised expression. "Yes, I know all about you, _Hero_. I heard about your victory over the Sorcerer King and I congratulate you on killing him, but did the thought ever cross your mind that there were innocents among those you sent through that Mirror? Who are you to condemn the whole for the actions of the few?"

"They were a threat to Hyrule," Link replied, stunned. There was someone who _defended_ them?

"All of them?" The Sorceress took a step forward, and Link could sense the power around her building. This was turning dangerous; the last thing he wanted was to battle another magic user. "Din's fire, there were children among them!"

Opening his mouth to retort back, he froze. Several things that she has said before were the same questions that he still struggled with himself. The one time he had voiced his opinions, a general had overheard and had told Link to keep his mouth shut or he would be arrested for treason. Now being accused of being heartless for just following a direct, order straight from the throne, he found that he'd had enough.

"I didn't have a choice," he countered firmly.

"Oh, no choice? Let me tell you something, Link: everyone has a choice." The Sorceress's voice was well beyond ice-cold now; Link half-expected frost to start issuing from her mouth. "You could have said something, made them stop, but you just stood there, watching, as one by one the innocents were forced into a world where they can never escape. You had just saved the land; those in charge would've listened to you! But you did nothing. I was there, Hero, so don't you dare deny it."

"I don't deny it. Yes, I was there, but as I said before, I had no choice." Ignoring the pain, he pushed himself upright and looked her in the eye. "The king ordered for all of them to be sent through the Mirror. No exceptions. Those caught trying to help them escape or even speaking against his orders would be branded traitors and executed.

"So I stood there, helpless, as innocent people were sent through that Mirror, and it still haunts me to this day. If there was any way I could've saved them, I would've done it, I swear by the Golden Goddesses." He was breathing heavily at this point, but he refused to break eye contact with her for any reason. "I knew how they felt, I too had lost everything I once had to that madman and his followers, but _there was nothing I could do._"

A silence stretched between them, one broken only by the sounds of the forest outside and the soup bubbling softly behind them. Then the Sorceress sighed and sat down in the chair. "I'm sorry, Link," she said in a much softer voice. "The past few months have been difficult for me. If you must know, I had several friends among those banished. I went to the Mirror Chamber to see if there was anything I could do to save them, but there was so many guards…and then I saw you. I thought you would do something since everyone called you Hero and you had the sword…I didn't know what the king had ordered, I thought you were doing that of your own free will after _he_ killed your squad but…"

"How do you know what happened to my squad?" Link demanded. "Not even the general knows that."

"The fever you had was not a natural one, but one formed from dark magic. A death curse, if you will, set by a powerful sorcerer." The Sorceress seemed to notice that Link was sitting up and gently pushed him back down. "It was meant to destroy you at your weakest moment by forcing you to relive the worst memories of your past. That, plus the Skulltula venom and the infected wounds, would've killed you had I not blocked the pain. In doing so, I saw what you saw, felt what you felt. I thought you had done that out of revenge…You are a rare person, Link. Never before had I met someone who thought as I did about the Interlopers. The innocent ones, at least." She touched her left shoulder with her right fist while bowing her head, a Gerudo gesture of respect, before standing and walking away.

Link stared at her. First she saved him, then she challenged him, now she respected him? Just who was this Sorceress?

With a mental shrug, he filed that thought away until later. Exhaustion tugged at his eyelids, and considering what he had been through almost a week ago, sleep seemed to be a good idea. He'd ask her questions in the morning.

If he lived until then…

ooo0ooo

Another week went by through a haze of boredom. The Sorceress kept Link confined to the bed, drinking various potions while trying to find something that he could keep down. Although he knew that time was precious, he had no choice matter; the Sorceress seemed determined to keep there until she deemed him fully recovered. Still, he never had liked being kept in one spot for long periods of time, especially for healings.

The Sorceress never said much after the argument, only short sentences for him to eat or drink whatever she brought for him, but Link could sense that she was in the midst of an inner conflict centered on him. So far she hadn't reached a decision, but he could tell that she was close. Until then, Link remained at her home and was subjected to her ministrations; which, at its best, was slightly tyrannical.

He kept going over the heated discussion in his mind. He knew he could've handled it better, but Nayru knew that when it came to talking to women, he was downright terrible. He had never really spent much time in the local taverns on his days off like the rest of comrades, only showing up if he knew someone was going to get extremely drunk that night and needed help to get back to the barracks. Deep down, he knew she was right, but he just couldn't find the way to tell her.

One morning, he woke to find a note from the Sorceress on the table next to him:

_Link, I will be out for some time in the forest. I'm not sure for how long. You should be able to move around without too much pain, but if you start losing your sense of balance or the pain's too severe, sit down immediately. Drink the potion I left for you before you attempt it. Whatever you do, DO NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE! There's broth in the pot, try to eat at least two bowls. I hope the clothes fit._

Underneath the note was a pair of tan pants and a white shirt, neatly folded. Next to them stood a cup of the same purple potion he'd been drinking every day since he arrived. Grimacing, he drank the potion in on swallow and sat up. The bandages had been removed the day before, revealing thin white scars to join the ones he already had acquired, but they were easily covered by the clothes the Sorceress had provided, which fit him fairly well.

Taking a deep breath, he gripped the table with one hand and pulled himself to his feet. Immediately he felt a little light-headed, but it soon passed, allowing him to attempt a few steps. He made it as far as the larger table before the fire before he had to sit down, but he was pleased that he could finally leave that too-small bed that he had been in for two weeks. He seriously thought that the bed had been made by the Kokiri.

Now at the center of the room, Link saw that the Sorceress's home was rather small, but adequate for someone living alone. He also noticed the simple green-and-brown rug in front of the fire looked rather rumpled, as though someone had been sleeping on it of late. With a start he realized that he had been sleeping on the only bed in the room, forcing the Sorceress to sleep on the floor. Though he was not one for chivalry (he never really had the time to practice it), it went against the grain for him to be sleeping in the only bed of anyone's house for any reason.

A flash of bright metal caught the corner of his eye and he twisted around to see a mirror hanging near the south window. Pulling himself upright again, he made his way over to the mirror and examined himself after what felt like years.

He found an attractive young man with intense blue eyes and dark blonde hair that was brutishly short in the one-style-fits-all Army haircut. Though he still looked rather the same from when he left home to join the Army, he could see several small changes that were not there before. His shoulders were broader, his body leaner, and he had added some muscle during his time in the army, but the most noticeable change was in his eyes; they no longer held the laughter they once held before the war against the Interlopers. They now held the somber gaze of a man who has seen too much. And he was just eighteen.

"The harshest thing about war is that it changes a man," he'd once heard an old soldier say. "Sometimes for good, sometimes for bad. Boys become men in war, and often too quickly. When you look into the mirror and can't recognize yourself, lad, you'll know for a fact you'll never be the same again."

Link couldn't help but agree.

"Done admiring yourself?" Link turned to see the Sorceress standing in the doorway behind him, a basket filled with various fungi hanging off her arm.

"Just remembering the words of an old soldier." Link sat back down at table as the Sorceress set the basket down on its surface.

"And just what did he say?" The Sorceress seemed mildly curious, with none of the iciness that had permeated her tone over the past few days.

"That when you look into the mirror and can't recognize yourself, you're no longer the person you once were." Link picked at one of the swirls in the table before him. "The Goddesses know that I'm not the same boy who joined the Army two years ago." Deciding that now was a good time as any, he looked up. "Sorceress, I want to…I want to thank you for saving my life earlier, and for healing me, but what I'm really trying to say…oh Farore, this is difficult."

"What is it, Link?" The Sorceress seemed a little confused at this new side of him.

"I…I..." No matter what he tried, he just couldn't say what he wanted. _Just spit it out_, he told himself. Taking a deep breath, he blurted out a sentence to the floor.

The Sorceress seemed taken aback. "Come again?"

Link winced. He had just garbled his words _again_ to a woman for the fourth time in his life. _And the guys wondered why I stayed away from the taverns_. Looking down at the floor, he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for what happened to your friends among the Interlopers," he repeated slowly.

He heard cloth rustle, but he kept his eyes on the floor. He wanted to see what she was doing, but then he remembered the short sword that she owned and how it had obliterated a Stalchild with no apparent effort, so he decided that the floor was a safer place to keep he gaze at for now.

A hand sheathed in black silk slipped under his chin and he reluctantly raised his face to meet the Sorceress's masked visage. "Why?"

"What?"

"Why are you apologizing for something that was beyond your control?" The Sorceress was clearly confused.

"Because you were right: I did have a choice." Link sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. This was going to take longer than he'd thought. He waved at the other chair. "You may want to sit down; this is going to take a while."

When she had sat down, he sighed again. "You need to understand, I'm not the same person who left my village almost two years ago. You see, everything started one night when I was twelve…"

* * *

><p>Author's note: So we now meet the Sorceress, and Link can't talk to women to save his life. Poor Link…if only he knew that he doesn't need to talk with me…but I severely digress. **<em><strong>contented sigh<strong>_**

Anyways, this concludes the longest chapter I've written so far. I'm working on the next on as fast as I can but I have a slight problem: school. BUT I will give you a tidbit on the next TWO chapters: they will each be a narrative, told by Link and the Sorceress (in that order), on the events that lead up to this point, and they will be told in first person, so hopefully they'll fill in any gaps you may have.

Until then, please R&R. Please, I beg of you! **_**starts bowing like the Happy Mask Salesman**_** Please, please, PLEASE! **_**stops**_** Ok, this recent insanity fit has been brought to you by sugar, caffeine, and insomnia! See ya later!


	5. Two Bosses and a Sorcerer

Special thanks and GIANT virtual cookies to SamuraiSal1 and LEva114 for reviewing/favoriting/alerting/whatever-else-they-might-have-done-that-my-email-didn't-tell-me-that-hopefully-includes-telling-other-people-about-it

REMINDER: This is Link telling his story to the Sorceress, so the "you"s in here are directed towards her.

* * *

><p>My family owned a ranch near one of the southeastern border towns in Hyrule. It was a small village, but it's not so bad. My father had been killed in some kind of raid when I was an infant (I never found out the details) and my mother died of the fever that went through Hyrule when I was four. A friend of the family kept the ranch going as another couple took me in.<p>

I was a bit of a trouble-maker back then; I enjoyed playing jokes on several of the villagers. Nothing serious, but enough to land me in some extremely hot water from time to time. Most of the pranks I pulled were on this group of boys who kept teasing me because I was an orphan. No matter where I hid after one of my brilliant schemes, they always found me and there would be a fist-fight. Who won depended on the size of their group: if it was more than three, I lost.

When I was ten, I decided to go back to the ranch. Sure I was small, but Faro, the one who was running the place, found a ton of smaller jobs that I could do. He didn't mind; the ranch was going to be mine when I got older, so he thought that the earlier I learned the ropes, the better. I couldn't pitch hay or handle some of the more skittish horses, but I could clean the stalls, mend harnesses, and groom the smaller ones. In the meantime, I learned how to ride and became friends with my horse, Chaser, when he was just a yearling.

It was a peaceful life, but I felt…confined by the monotonous life. Almost nothing ever happened in the village except for the usual small argument or lost child that was eventually found. I kept wishing for something big to happen and add some excitement to my life, but, as with any young kid, I didn't think about the consequences until afterwards.

I was twelve when _he_ showed up.

They appeared as a simple group of travelers dressed in dark robes. They said that they were roaming priests of some new order that no one had ever heard of, one that would bring the citizens of Hyrule out of the dark ages that we had been in for the past few years. No one listened to them. People in my village had been through rough times before (it's kinda a requirement for living near any of the borders) and so they believed that it was only a matter of time before things began to turn around.

When no one showed any interest, the leader then came up to the front of the mayor's house, Barden, and asked him if there was a soldier who lived nearby. Asking that question there is like asking someone if there are nobles living at the castle, so naturally Barden laughed and asked which one the leader wanted to see.

This was when things got a little weird. The leader started demanding to speak to the "the soldier from the sky," which confused everyone to no end. Some began wondering if this stranger was mad or something and started moving away from the group. Barden tried to make sense of what the leader was saying, but the more he asked, the more agitated the leader became. I guess something inside him snapped, because the next thing I knew, Barden was on his back with the leader standing over him holding what looked like a small ball of dark orange fire.

During all of this, I had been watching from the porch of a nearby house. I heard what the "priests" had said and I considered it nonsense like everyone else, but there was something about the leader I didn't like, so I watched him closely, and saw the mayor's murder.

It took a while for the whole scene to sink in, but by the time everyone realized what had happen, disaster had struck. The men went for their weapons, but the "priests" were also magic-users themselves and struck them down. The women grabbed their children and ran as all of the "priests" began to burn the buildings.

I don't know what came over of me at that point, because the next thing I knew, I had grabbed a piece of firewood and charged at the leader. He laughed at me as he dodged my attacks and threw me into a nearby field. I must've hit my head on a rock since I blacked out.

Faro found me while I was still unconscious and brought me back to the ranch. He'd seen the smoke rising from what was left of the village and feared the worse. When I woke up, I wanted to go after the strangers, but Faro wouldn't let me. He had always been like an uncle to me, so I usually listened to him, but I was determined to find the strangers and make them pay for what they'd done, especially when I heard about those who had been found among the dead.

For weeks we argued over it, and Faro can be as stubborn as a mule when he wants to be, but nothing he said could my mind. He finally came up with a compromise: if I still wanted to hunt down the strangers in two years, he would help me enlist in the army. His reasoning was that there was a good possibility that the king would want to take action against this new potential threat, so most likely I would be called upon to fight them. Though I desperately wanted to go after them right then and there, something inside of me told me to wait until I joined the army. In my twelve-year-old mind, it was good idea, so I agreed. Now I wish I had just stayed home…

Two years later, I still hadn't changed my mind, so we packed together a few things and took off for Kakariko Village, which was where the nearest recruiting station was. I took Chaser along with me since I knew I would most likely need a good horse. The trip took about three days, during which Faro was subtly attempting to change my mind, but all I could think of was the destruction the strangers had caused and my thirst for revenge.

When we reached the station, the recruiter thought the whole thing was a joke until Faro told him exactly where we were from. By this time, everyone had heard what had happened on the southeastern border. The recruiter seemed to be a man who had seen everything, but I saw his eyes grow wide when he saw me standing there. He asked me if I was sure about joining the army, and I replied, "Sir, they destroyed the homes and lives of many people I knew, and I want to make them pay for what they've done." At that, the recruiter nodded gravely and pushed a form for me to sign, which I did with no hesitation, not knowing exactly what I had just signed my fifteen-year-old self to.

Since I knew how to ride and had my own horse, I was placed in the Light Cavalry Division, which is nothing more than a fancy term for mounted patrols, scouts, messengers, and occasional spy. Still, basic training was just as tough, if not harder, than the rest of the army. For one thing, it's twice as long as regular basic since you have to do everything twice: once with the horse, once on foot, and then there was the mandatory two-week crash course on Sheikah techniques. For twenty grueling weeks, I ran up and down hills in all sorts of weather, sparred with various, _merciless_, instructors, and tried to spot incoming "invaders" or avoid "scouts," all while wearing chainmail, a sword, a shield, and other such equipment. To sum it all up, it was torture, but the worst part, in my opinion, was learning those freaking Sheikah tactics. I honestly thought I would never need to use them.

I got a lot of flak for being the youngest person there (everyone else was eighteen or older and I was just barely fifteen), but I made up for it in sheer determination. No matter what they threw my way, I always push through it. I'll admit that there were a few times I almost gave up, but every time I remembered the destruction that had happened to my village, the laughing face of the one who had brought it, and my promise to make him pay.

At the end of the twenty weeks, I had passed everything, but General Henry Swift of the Light Cavalry Division, who had a bit of a soft spot for "the boy from the village" as I was sometimes called, didn't feel as though it was right to send me out into the field, so he held me back and had me help instruct the next group. It was about this time that I found out I was a natural with the sword, and so I was sent to Captain Ryan, the local sword-master, for private tutoring, but I have to say I didn't pay as close of attention as I should've, as I found out later.

During this time, the strangers had increased their attacks and came out into the open, armed with powerful magic and strange creatures. They called themselves the Sorcerers of the New Order. Everyone else called them the Interlopers. When word came out of the attacks, the king ordered for the entire army to bring them down before they caused the ruin of Hyrule.

The War of the Interlopers had officially a few months I turned sixteen.

The minute I found out that the Interlopers, I begged General Swift to let me go fight them. He reluctantly agreed and assigned me to the 37th Mounted Squad, in which there were fifteen men, all older than me by at least three years. In hindsight, I believe he was trying to keep me out of trouble. The attempt failed miserably.

At first, life seemed better for me; I was now a part of the Hylian Army and was off to fight the one who had destroyed me home, but soon I saw that the 37th was never really near any of the action. We were always off to one obscure side or on the complete opposite side of Hyrule from where the battle was taking place, looking out for potential ambushes that never came. I knew better than to complain though; Captain Lenard Tyler hated any form of complaint or excuse and severely chastised anyone foolish to murmur one within his hearing, as I found out to my chagrin on my first day within. The only excuse that he said that he would accept would be "I dead, therefore I can't."

I longed for some kind of combat different from the drills and practice sparring we seemed to do constantly. Most of the fighting was centered on the border between Hyrule and the Gerudo Desert and the reports from the front lines had started saying that the war was going badly, but we were always seemed to stay away from the main fighting. This irked me to no end. I wanted to test my new skills against the ones responsible for destroying my village. I still wanted to make them pay. I wanted my chance to fight. Finally, about six months into the campaign, I got my wish, but again, it was not what I expected. You'd think I would've learned the first time.

We were on patrol in near the Death Mountain region when we found this old man being set upon by a group of Stalchilds and those annoying jumping spider-like things…what are they?…oh, yeah, Tektites. In was short work for the fifteen of us to dispatch the creatures, but we were too late to save the old man. With his last breath, he said he was close to finding a weapon that could change the tide of the war. What was really weird was that he only spoke to me, ignoring everyone else. He pressed a thick satchel into my hands and told me to find this weapon at any cost. His final words were: "Find it! Find it before Hyrule succumbs to darkness!" And then he died.

Knowing that we couldn't take the body back, we buried it under a cairn of stones, after which I tried to give the satchel to Captain Tyler, but he refused to take it. "Hang on to it," he said. "That man seemed determined for you, and only you, to have it." On the way back to the main camp, the captain had all of us swear that we would never discuss what had happened on the patrol until we had further instructions from the general. Never before had anyone seen the usually calm captain this agitated.

It was sunset by the time we came back to the camp, which was set right outside Kakariko Village, where we gave the brief, altered report that we'd come across a small force that appeared to have been made up of strays. No one mentioned the old man or the satchel that was now hidden in one of my saddlebags. After we gave our report to the watch commander, Captain Tyler casually asked if he could speak to the general about the recent dispatches that had come through from the king.

Luck seemed to be on our side as General Swift walked in right at that moment. Now you need to know that General Swift had this uncanny ability to know when someone wanted to talk to him in private, so the minute he walked into the tent, he asked to see Captain Tyler in his pavilion. The captain nodded and followed him outside while signaling me to bring the satchel.

Once inside the pavilion, Captain Tyler told the general about the old man and the satchel. At the end of the report, I showed the general the satchel, who was the first one to open it. Inside were a notebook, sheaf of papers, and an old outdated map of Hyrule. The map had these symbols on it that matched the headings on the papers, but no one could make sense of it, so we turned to the notebook, which turned out to be the journal of William, the old man.

William had been on the trail of a powerful weapon for almost twenty years. He never said exactly what the weapon was or did, but he seemed determined to find it. It apparently had been well hidden by its previous owner by a series of clues scattered throughout Hyrule. There were eighteen clues total, each one pointing the seeker to the next one while revealing one hint of the weapon's location. They were hidden in obscure places all over Hyrule, from the heart of the Gerudo Desert to deep within the Kokiri Forest. Over the course of his search, William had not only found solid evidence that the weapon even existed; he had found sixteen of the clues.

The atmosphere in the pavilion seemed to thicken as the three of us beheld what now lay before us. All of knew that the war was fairing badly for the Hylian Army and that the only way for the tide to turn would take a miracle. And one seemed to be staring at us in the face. All someone had to do was find it.

The general was the first to snap out it. He asked the captain if anyone outside the 37th knew of the satchel. He seemed relieved when both of us confirmed that only those who had been present knew we even had it. He was silent for a moment, looking as though he was planning something and wanted to make sure that every detail was correct. Then he spoke and what he said next took both me and the captain completely off guard though.

General Swift wanted the 37th Mounted Squad, my squad, to go find it.

When I heard those words, the first thing that went through my mind was "The general said _what?_" I had originally thought that if he was going to send someone to get this weapon, he would send one of the more experienced squads, not one with someone fresh out of basic, but then I saw the logic of the general's decision. By sending the squad that had found the satchel, less people would know about it, therefore improving the chances that this mission could remain hidden from Interloper forces. There was also the fact that William had singled me out to finish what he'd started, but I didn't think too much about it at the time.

We were to leave as soon as the general found out the location of the seventeenth clue, which would take him a bit since he had to find it on the old map and compare it to a recent one, all while being unseen. The general was determined to keep this as quiet as possible. Until he sent for us, we were to remain as ordinary soldiers stuck to guard duty. The minute I heard this, I had to stifle a groan; I absolutely hate guard duty 'cause you're stuck in the same place for hours and you can't let your mind wander due to the simple fact that there are a lot of people depending on you to give a warning at the first sign of trouble. I know it's an important job, but I've never been one to stay in one place for long.

A month went by before we were all summoned to the pavilion and we were shown our first destination: the peak of Death Mountain. Now I understood why William had been in the area: he'd been ambushed on his way there. A small part of me wondered if the Interlopers knew about William and his quest. Sure Stalchids and Tektites aren't the most reliable forces, attacking anything that moves aside from themselves and therefore the ones we'd found weren't proof, but I couldn't shake the feeling that this was either going to be a race to get the weapon, or someone was using us to find it for them.

We set off right before dawn, with a tale of carrying sensitive messages to the Gorons from the king as our cover. There were sealed documents that we could produce if needed, but the truth was that one of them was William's map; the others were blank. Only the general and those in my squad knew what we were really up to, and the plan was to keep it that way.

Going up Death Mountain Trail was difficult at first. There were Tektites everywhere, and they had this annoying habit of jumping off the trail above us. One almost hit the captain on the head; it was still in the air when he cut it down. By the time we reached the halfway marker, we were all hot, tired, and ready to get out of there, but we knew we had to keep going up. We left the horses there with Mark and Jon to watch them since the map pointed up a steep and narrow path past Goron City. Usually that's my job, but Captain Tyler wanted me to be around when we found whatever we were looking for.

This path lead straight to a steep cliff that is climbable, but it was going to be a pain. Three of my squad-mates stayed on the ground (they had a thing with heights) to watch our backs as the rest of us slowly made our way up. It took about two hours since the cliff was infested with Skullwalltulas, which we had to shoot down before we could continue up. Thankfully there were several ledges along the way that we could shoot them down before we got too close and we finally reached the top of that mountain without too much trouble.

At the top, we found two openings; one large one that I _think_ leads to the heart of the mountain and a smaller one in a few feet to the right. According to the map, we were to go right, which immediately left out the two large guys among us. There was no way they'd be able to fit through the opening, which was nothing more than a thin crack. I couldn't help but feel that at the rate that this was going, only one of us was going to find the stupid thing. Sixteen had started, but now there was only eight going in.

The crack was, in a word, cramped. Several times we had to turn sideways to get through. There was this one part that was so narrow we all had to take off the equipment we were carrying and pass it through before we could get ourselves through. We started speeding up when we saw this dim bluish light appear and soon found ourselves on a ledge looking over a deep pit. The bluish light came from somewhere inside the walls. A natural bridge stretched out over the pit, but no one could see the other side.

Remember how I said I had a feeling that this was most likely going to turn out to be a one-person mission? Yeah, I was right. Captain Tyler had been in the lead for this entire trek so far, but when he tried to move forward to cross the bridge, some kinda force or invisible barrier stopped him three feet from it. In fact it stopped everyone…except me.

For some reason I have yet to figure out, I was the only one who could pass the barrier. The others were just unable to get across, even with me touching them. We tried for about ten minutes, but nothing worked. This one guy, Ryan, tried to jump through the barrier in a last ditch attempt, but it knocked him back. I won't repeat what he said when he unceremoniously landed on his rear, but the look on his face was hilarious. The glare he gave everyone made us all laugh even harder.

After everyone caught their breath, the captain looked at me. "Looks like you're going to have to do this on your own, Link," he said.

I stared at him. I, the most junior member of the squad, one with what I felt was the biggest grudge against the Interlopers, was going to be the only one to walk across some dark bridge to most likely some dark, creature-infested cavern, just to retrieve some clue to a powerful weapon? I didn't think so.

The captain saw my hesitation. "Link, I normally wouldn't send you in there, but for some reason, you are the only one who can go in there," he said, coming as close as he could to the barrier. "Whatever goes on in there, remember your training, and you should do fine."

As must as I really wanted to argue with him, I knew that he had a point due to the simple fact that I was on the other side of some barrier that he couldn't cross. I really didn't want to go, but this little voice inside of me, the same one that told me to join the army, was saying that I had to go _now_. Unable to speak, I simply nodded and turned to cross the bridge. As I did so, the captain called out, "Goddesses all guard you!"

If only he knew how much I was praying at that time…

Crossing the bridge took a while because that thing was not only long, but so narrow I moved very slowly to minimize any chance of me falling. I had no idea how deep that pit was, and I was in no hurry to find out. The other side had the same dim blue lighting of the other side, but had this ornate doorway that had some kinda marking around it that looked like a giant lizard eating some smoking round object. I thought that it was just mere decoration and went through the door, only to have it close and sealed itself with me inside.

I found myself in a room lit by the red glow of the lava pit in the middle. The walls were covered in ridges the thickness of a man's arm accompanied by what appeared to be gigantic scorched marks. However, what I didn't find was anything pointing me towards what I had come for.

I had just noticed this when I heard the first heavy footstep. Instinct made me roll to a spot close to the wall as this huge jet of fire filled the air I was just in. Pressing my back against the wall, I turned around and saw this freaking huge lizard coming right at me.

This is where I got extremely mad at William. Yes, my initial respect for the guy went up quite a bit for going up against things this, but this was just pushing it. You see, his journal talked about the other locations and how the clues were" difficult to obtain", but what he _didn't_ mention was that "difficult" for him meant that there was a (insert swear word here) huge monster in a (insert swear word here) locked room guarding the (insert swear word here) clue-thing! You'd think he would mention something that important, but no, I had to learn it the hard way while trapped in a locked room with an enormous lizard that as bent on eating me!

My initial glance of the thing was not encouraging: the thing had armor covering every inch, but there was this weaker-looking spot right under the throat. And of course that gaping mouth, but there was no way I was going to go anywhere near that while that thing was still moving. All I had on me at the time was my sword and shield, which translates into pretty much nothing, at the time.

I think that the lizard didn't have very good eyesight since it curled up into a ball and rolled right past me to another part of the room. It was at this time that I noticed these weird plants growing in the corner that the lizard had specifically avoided. Keeping one eye on the lizard to make sure it didn't suddenly turn around and try to blast me again, I moved over to the corner and found that the plants were in fact the infamous Bomb Flowers found only on Death Mountain. By avoiding these, the lizard had shown me that bombs could hurt it. Without any hesitation, I pulled one out and threw it at the lizard. Let's just say that didn't work.

The bomb landed right next to one of the back legs. Unfortunately, the explosion did not make it through the armor, and the lizard turned around to face me. It opened its mouth to breathe more fire, but it didn't get the chance because I lobbed another bomb right into its gaping mouth, where it promptly exploded, causing the lizard to collapse. I ran up to its head and started swinging at the weak spot under the throat.

This whole time, I really had no idea what I was doing. That little voice got me into this mess seemed to have taken over, telling my body what to do, not that I minded. It was doing far better than I would've done on my own, which most likely would've been me frozen in the corner unable to move.

Anyways, it took a couple slashes for me to severely damage the thinner armor of the throat, by which time the lizard had woken from its daze and started to charge at me again. I ran to another corner, where I found to my delight more Bomb Flowers. It was at this point that I remembered the carving around the door. You know, the one with the lizard eating the round smoking thing? I realized that someone somewhere had given me directions on how to kill this thing, which was an instant boost to my confidence. It made me feel as though I wasn't alone.

I waited for the lizard to come closer before running up to it and yelling. I was trying to make it breathe fire so it would open its mouth. The stunt work, and I was able to throw another bomb into its mouth, but it had managed to let out a small jet that burned my left arm, my sword arm, pretty badly. I wasn't going to let the pain stop me though, and I charged up to the thing and started hacking and slashing away at the weak spot. The last of the armor had fallen away by the time the lizard stood and rolled to another part of the room.

The little voice told me that one more bomb should help finish it off, and I was praying hard that it was right: my arm was starting to _hurt_. Moving as quietly as I could, I followed the lizard and found another cluster of Bomb Flowers. Once there, I yelled once more and threw a bomb at its foot, which resulted in it turning right back around. It saw me and was about to incinerate me when I threw another bomb square in its mouth. I was already moving forward when it hit the ground. With one good stab, I plunged my sword through its throat to one of the big veins.

That thing let out a howl so loud I had to cover my ears before it started rolling around the room. I guess it must have lost part of its balance since it rolled right into the pit of lava in the center and vanished in a puff of smoke. After that, this bluish circle formed right next to the door.

At this point, I really didn't care about what I came for. I had just survived killing a gigantic lizard in a room from which there had been no exit, and my arm _hurt_. All I wanted to do was lie down and sleep, but I knew that if I didn't come out any time soon, the rest of my squad was going to think that I was dead. So instead of resting, I hauled my weary self over to the blue circle and saw a piece of paper topped by a weird symbol. I couldn't help but think _I went through all that for this?_ as I picked it up and tucked into my belt pouch.

The door unsealed itself and I practically ran out of the room and across the bridge. There was no way I wanted to be trapped in that room again. When I appeared, the captain took one look and asked, "What happened?"

I told them the entire abridged story in about one minute, after which I found that I had gone up against a King Dodongo out of all things. At this time, I really didn't care that I now had the biggest "monster story" to tell everyone now because I was hot, tired and ready to get out of that (insert swear word here) place. Willing to risk getting a lecture on excuses, I went up to the captain and asked if we could start moving out, while showing him my burnt arm. He agreed and ordered me to report to the healers as soon as we got back down to the camp.

Going down the mountain was by far easier than going up it, even with a burnt arm. Sure there were parts were I purposely jumped off the ledge, but I had no idea whether or not there were more Dodongos in the area, and frankly, I didn't want to find out. One King Dodongo was more than enough for me.

When we reached the horses, Captain Tyler sent off one of the men to the Gorons to alert them of the possibility of Dogongos in the area and directions to the one I had killed. The story was that we had come across the cavern while on patrol and heard strange noises coming out of it. When we went to investigate it, the King Dodongo trapped me inside the cave, where I killed it single-handedly. Although it made me sound braver than I actually was, it was as close to the true story as we could manage without sounding too suspicious. The Gorons were shocked at the mention of a King Dodongo on the mountain, but they apparently they were very thankful and sent me my very own bag of bombs as a gesture of sincere thanks. After that, we slipped quietly back into camp.

True to my orders, I got my arm looked at (my story was I got too close to one of the random fire jets that litter the mountain, which could be counted as true since I didn't mention what had created the fire) and was told to remain off duty for about two weeks as my arm healed. Yes, I know that there are potions that can clear it right up, but they were need for the wounded that kept coming in from the front lines.

While I was preoccupied, Captain Tyler had reported to General Swift the results of our mission and handed him the parchment I had recovered. They also had a conversation about me, of which I'll explain later. The general was impressed by our success, since we were now only two steps away from finding the weapon, and ordered the 37th to take leave until he called us again for the next location.

Ironically, two weeks had passed when we got word of our next location: an obscure cave on the far shore of Lake Hylia. I let out a small groan when I heard this; most likely it was going to be me going alone, again, into the cave, again, and fight some huge monster, _again_, but instead of it trying to burn me into a crisp, it would probably try to drown me. Oh what fun.

The ride from the mountains to the lake was fairly uneventful, with only the nightly encounters of Stalchilds breaking up the long three-day ride. At this time, it was near winter, so the Zoras were all in their domain at the mouth of the river, leaving us the only people there at the time, which was good because we had a terrible cover this time, but I forgot what it was. I was a little nervous at the time though; this was the closest I have ever gotten to the main fighting. It took all I had not to kick Chaser into a gallop and join the army there.

When we got there, we were able to ride partly around the lake, but there came a place where we could ride no farther and would have to swim the rest of the way. One more the captain had two men stay with the horses and me with the main group, but then we faced a dilemma: the distance we would have to swim was not long, but it was going difficult with the added weight of chainmail, sword, and shield.

By pure chance we found a small pile of logs that we could lash together and make a raft just be enough for five of us to put our equipment on, which one could pull behind him. Captain Tyler choose the five to go, which including both him me, and the others began to remove their equipment, but what they didn't know was that during the two week Sheikah training, the agents training my group had us attempt to swim up the river while wearing everything on the first day. The exercise was repeated every day until everyone could reach a certain point within a time limit. The point was to make sure we were never without our equipment because of weight. I think it was recently added to the normal training regime since I got these looks when I dove in and started swimming to where the cave was.

I was already searching the mouth of the cave when the rest of them finally got there. I shrugged as they questioned me on what they had thought was a stupid stunt; I wasn't one to gloat, and they had no idea the torture I had been through with Sheikah agents shouting insults in a language that I couldn't understand.

We waited a moment for our clothes and boots to dry out before venturing deeper into the cave. This one was not straight as the one on Death Mountain, but it was still lit with bluish light as it gently sloped downwards. The captain, who was in the lead, hit the barrier when the walls of the cave narrowed into a crevice that only one person could pass through. Although the others tried half-heartily, once again I was the only one who could pass the barrier.

Knowing all too well what lay before me, I nodded to the captain and entered the crevice. A small room with the ornate doorway stood before me, but this time I stopped and studied the carving around it. This one showed what looked like a masked fish being attacked with some weirdly-angled object, which I could not make any sense of. Praying to Farore that I would be able to find out soon enough, I entered the next chamber that just happened to be a small room with a big hole in the floor. As with the one in the mountain, the door sealed itself behind me.

It was here that I found the object from the carving; one of the Zora-made boomerangs. I picked it up since it had been depicted in the carving, which meant I was going to need it against whatever I was about to face, and jumped into the hole, landing on this platform in the middle of a medium-sized pond.

At first I didn't see anything, but then I became aware of the water moving. By the size of the ripples, it was a rather large creature, and then it jumped over the platform, revealing itself to be a fish that was size of the King Dodongo with horns coming out of its face and a huge mouth. I will admit the first thing that went through my mind when I saw it was _Dude, that is one big fish_, but then it tried to knock me off the platform and I had to focus on the fight at hand.

Since the carving had shown the boomerang hitting the fish, I tried throwing it at it while it was still in the water. That didn't work cause the boomerang hit the water and came right back, almost hitting me in the head. I tried several more times, but all with the same results. It wasn't until the fish jumped the platform again in an attempt to knock me off that I realized that I was suppose to hit it _in the air_. The thing was, I had no idea how to make it jump when I needed it to.

This is when I heard that little voice start saying that I need to stand near the edge of the platform to lure the fish into jumping. When I heard this, I was shocked (I was seriously thinking that this thing was trying to make me suicidal) but it had never failed me yet, so I cautiously crept toward the edge, watching the fish the whole time. It seemed shocked that I looked like I was offering myself to be a tasty meal (I really don't know, I can't read fish expressions), but it only hesitated a second before it leapt up to eat me.

Right when it did, I backed up and threw the boomerang right at one of its horns, which apparently was a weak spot since the fish collapsed on the platform and started hopping around. Seeing what the boomerang had done to the horn, I targeted that as my point of hacking and slashing, which lasted about half a minute before the fish managed to hop back into the water.

I was thinking that this was pretty easy until it popped its head out of the water and spat these little fish at me. They were little more than a nuisance, but when you're trying to lure a big fish out of the water without falling in or getting knocked off while these little fish are chomping on your feet, it can change things quite a bit. I had to kill them with my sword before I could resume my hunt for the big one since they would just hop right back out whenever I kicked them into the water.

Just like with the King Dodongo, it took a total of three hits with the boomerang, plus hacking and slashing at the horn, before it went down for good, but instead of being submerged in a pool of lava, the fish just flopped around on the platform, growing smaller and smaller in size, until it vanished in a puff of smoke. Once it did, the ring of blue light appeared with the symbol-marked paper and a ladder descended from the hole in the ceiling. Grabbing the paper, I went up the ladder with the biggest (and most likely truest), "big fish" story ever.

The captain and everyone else were surprised at how fast I came out of there since the fight against King Dodongo had been much longer, but when I told them I went up against a big fish, they all busted out laughing, me with them. Out of all things to fight after taking on an enormous, fire-breathing lizard, a big fish seemed absolutely ridicules when you're not fighting it or its demonic offspring.

They waited a bit for me to catch my breath and check myself for any injures, there were none if you didn't count the small cuts from the mini-fish, before we all jumped back into the lake and swam to where the rest of the squad waited. Once there, Jon, who had been one of the group in the cave, had me tale the other my "big fish tale," as he called it, before we mounted up to ride back to the base camp.

Some of the younger guys had a hard time keeping a straight face when someone mentioned fish on the way back, but we came up with the story that it was an inside joke. I never laughed much about it since it had tried to eat me, not to mention that it didn't look like any fish I had ever seen before.

While we had been gone, the Interlopers had increased their attacks. The order had come in for every soldier to report to the front lines now. By the time the 37th got back, nearly everyone was ready to go. General Swift saw us arrive and had all of us come to the command pavilion. Once there, he told one look at the last piece of paper, nodded, then stabbed at a spot on the map before him. "This is where the weapon is hidden," he said simply. "Go get it." Leaning in, I saw that where he had pointed to was an unnamed mountain way north of the castle. Of course it would be somewhere well off the beaten path, but even on the map, the mountain looked...well, kinda ominous, but orders were orders, so within two hours after our arrival, we were off again, this time heading north.

Normally, the journey would've only taken about a week, but since winter was setting in, double the time and you got how long it took us to reach the base of the mountain. Once more we had to leave the horses behind and climb all the way to the top of the mountain, only this time, the sky threatened to drop a blizzard on us at any second. The little voice was urging me not to delay since I was so close to whatever we were seeking.

Thankfully the mountain was not the tallest one around and we manage to make it to this rather large, naturally lit cave at the peak right before the blizzard finally hit. Normally I would've rested a moment, but I had this urging to go deeper into the cave and find what we came for. Some of it came from the little voice, but the rest came from my desire to finally enter the fight against the Interlopers, so I told the captain I was going in and left before he got said anything. I think that he might have told me to be careful, I don't know. I'll never know now.

At the back of the cave, half-hidden behind a boulder, I caught sight of a white doorway gleaming in the light of the various fungi nearby. It looked similar to the other two doorways I had seen before, but with one difference: there was no carving nearby to warn me about what was inside. When I saw this, I could only come to three conclusions: one, there was no monster inside; two, a new monster moved in and killed the original; or three, this was going to be some kinda mental test. Obviously I was hoping for the first as I entered the room and heard the door seal behind me.

Compared to the cave outside, the chamber was pitch black. I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face (yes I tried _that_), let alone anything else in the room, but my ever-so-helpful little voice was screaming at me that there was something potentially hostile in there. I drew my sword and held my shield out in front of me in an attempt to be ready in case whatever was in there was going to charge, but I was not expecting what did happen: something _spoke_ in there.

_Who comes to claim the blade of legend? _It said in a voice that seemed to be in my mind rather than coming from the air.

Not knowing what else to say, I managed a weak "Me." Yeah, I know, real heroic, but I really had no idea what I was up against. The last two creatures had either roared, tried to eat me, or both. None of them had spoken before the battle.

_Why do you seek it?_ The voice asked.

"To use it against those threatening Hyrule."

_A noble cause, but one I have heard before._ Who, or what, -ever was speaking seemed a little annoyed at this point, as though it was expecting a different answer. _Many before you have said that, but I did not ask you why you have been sent here. I am asking you why_ you _personally seek the blade. Something brought you to this place. I am asking what it is that drives you._

The question caught me off guard. Not only had others been here before, but it was asking a question that, personally, I did not want to answer. However, I knew I would have to say it, and now was a good time.

"Revenge," I said after a moment's pause. "The Interlopers destroyed my village, and, if the weapon here is as powerful as the legends say, I intend to make them pay."

_A truthful answer, the first in a long time._ The voice seemed a bit surprised at this, and I was hoping that whatever it belong to would let me pass, but its next words crushed that: _But a wrong answer nonetheless._

"How is it a wrong answer?" I demanded. This lead into the most memorable discussion I have ever heard.

_Revenge is an empty quest. In the end, it will gain you nothing._

"They destroyed the lives of innocent people, and you want them to walk away?"

_If they have done what you have said, then it should be justice that you seek. Never do the innocent dead cry out for revenge._

"Then what do they want?"

_Justice. The innocent cry out for righteous justice. Seek justice, and those who have done wrong will be given what is due._

"Then what is the difference between justice and revenge?"

_Revenge is for yourself. Justice is for others. Only a seeker of justice can ultimately wield the Blade of Evil's Bane._

"Is that the weapon hidden here?"

_Indeed, but none may claim it unless they pass my challenge. Do you truly seek the blade?_

"I do." I was gripping my sword tightly at this point.

_Then face me._ The chamber lit up to reveal an irregularly-shaped room, but what I was focused on was the shadowy figure standing in the center, one that looked just like _me_. I had only a moment to take all of this in before it charged.

You remember how I said earlier that I didn't really pay attention to those lessons with the sword-master and I regretted it later? This was where I regretted it. The shadow-me seemed to know every trick I did, but was ten times better and was fast as Farore's Wind. It (he?) also didn't tire as easily as I did. Soon it became all I could do just to keep him from chopping me into little bits.

After about ten minutes of solid sparring, Shadow-Me locked his blade with mine so that we were almost face-to-face. _You cannot fight me alone_, he said. _You must use what drives you to give you the will to do what you must!_ With a twist, he untangled the blades and came at me once again.

I had no idea what he was talking about when I blocked his swing with my shield, but then I remembered the screams from the villagers on that terrible night so long ago. I felt the anger of that sorcerer tearing away the people I knew from me, the pain that he caused when he ruined my life. _You want what drives me?_ I remember thinking. _I hope you're ready for it then._

Channeling the anger and the pain I was feeling, I released it into my blade and flew at Shadow-Me, imagining he was the sorcerer. He still blocked every move I made, but this time it was _he_ who was on the defensive and giving ground. He fought for every inch he had to, though. There was no way he was going to give up easily. I felt sure of winning this "challenge", as he called it, but after about twenty minutes of pounding this shadow from one end of the room to the other, the thrill of seeing him surrender slowly began to die, and so did the boost from my pain.

Shadow-Me began to start landing several blows of his own, and soon he was in charge of the fight again. I could only watch, numb, as I automatically blocked his sword. Why did I suddenly feel so empty? A moment before I was winning the duel; now I was barely holding my own again. Why did my pain not work? Had I not felt enough over the years to last me through one fight?

_You cannot fight me alone_. I heard those words roll through my head, and then I understood; I was not to use just my anger for a lost life. I was just one person, but an entire village of lost lives clamoring for the justice due for them was more than enough to take him out. The king had judged the sorcerer and declared that he must die. I, who had know many who had lost their lives to that terrible man and his power, would merely be the deliver.

With this knowledge, I renewed my attack on the shadowy figure, but this time I used the anger of those who had a real grudge against the sorcerer, and they were many. I thought of the life they'd once lived, what had once been their hopes for the future, their dreams for their children. When I ran out of things to think of with one person, I immediately thought of another whose life had been shattered, and a new surge of energy coursed through my limbs. Once more, I was the one on the offensive, and this time, there would be no relapse.

A long period of time past, and, though I was tired a long time ago, I didn't fight for me. I fought for others. At last, I slid my sword down the length of Shadow-Me's blade and twisted, wrenching the sword from his grasp. In the same motion, I flipped my sword point up to his neck.

"Yield," I said.

_I will yield to you, Hero. You have shown yourself worthy of wielding the blade._ The figure grew transparent as it spoke. _The blade you seek lies at the far end of the chamber. Take it and return quickly to your comrades. They need you._ With that, it vanished.

For a moment, all I could do was just stand there and breathe. That had been the hardest fight of my life, but the little voice, that had been unusually quiet throughout the whole duel, was telling me that they were going to get worse. Then the final words of the shadow hit me. _They need you._

With a shout of surprise, I ran to the other end of the room, grabbed the sword that stood in the pedestal at the far end and ran right back out without even looking at what I was holding. All I could think of was that my squad, who in a sense were my family, needed me. The little voice hadn't been warning of the duels in the future; it had been warning about now.

I heard the fight before I saw it, all shouts, grunts, and insane laughter. When I emerged from behind the boulder blocking the doorway, I drew up short; the sorcerer was at the mouth of the cave, firing bolts of dark orange magic at men before him. It only took a second for me to recognize the same man from my village before I charged at him with the sword I had just got.

He took one look what I was hold and snarled as he leapt into the air. I was shocked that he could fly, or float, whatever he was doing, but then he released this spell that filled the air with dark orange fire and I forgot all about it. I remember crouching on the ground, but how I survived the blast, I have no idea. I think it was the sword.

When the dust settled from the blasts, I saw that I was the only one still standing, and I have to admit, I lost it for a bit, but that is all I'm going to say on that. It probably would've been worse if the captain hadn't still been alive at the time.

I noticed him only as movement in a tumble of rocks out of the corner of my eye. I first thought he was something that the sorcerer had left behind to finish the survivors off after he had left, but then I remember that nothing among the Interloper ranks wore blue-and-purple and went to investigate. It was there I found the captain.

Captain Tyler was dying and he knew it, but that wasn't going to stop him from imparting some final advice to me. "Use it well," he said in a whisper. "The Goddesses choose you to have it. Do not doubt their decision. You were meant to have it. Save Hyrule! Save us all!" And then he died, and I was alone.

At first I couldn't feel a thing. I was numb with shock. Then the rage came, the rage of having those around me die once more. It would've consumed me as it did when I was twelve, but the conversation in the cave with the shadow came back. I forced my rage back down. It didn't help me before, it wouldn't help me now, but would help me would be their anger. I had known these men for almost a year, and while I didn't like all of them, I had respected them. I knew their hopes and dreams, (Jon was supposed to be getting married after the war ended) and knew that they, like the villagers, did not want revenge. They wanted justice.

I was just one person (who may have been chosen by the Goddesses, I'm still not sure on that part), I was going to make sure that the sorcerer receive what he was owed, but none of it was going to be mine. I was merely going to be the messenger.

I gave all of them the funeral of Hylian Heroes that they deserved as best I could and made my way down the mountain, where I found the two who had been with the horses, dead. After burying them as well, I mounted Chaser, collected all the horses that I could find, and started making my way to where the battle was supposed to be taking place, only when I got there in about a week, the Interloper army had vanished.

Ignoring the looks everyone gave me (seriously, one guy riding through the camp with seven military horses behind him, you know people are going to give him weird looks), I went straight to command pavilion to report to General Swift, only to find out that he had been killed in a charge not too long ago. General Logan was in command of the Light Calvary Division now.

No one had ever like Logan, so how he got to be general, I have no idea. Not that I really cared at the time, but with General Swift dead, I was now the only one alive who knew about the mission to get the sword now hanging on my shoulder. So, naturally, I was immediately questioned about why I was now just arriving, why I was here instead of Captain Tyler, and where the rest of squad was now.

Unsure of what to say, I gave him the briefest summary that my squad was killed while on a mission for General Swift that resulted in me getting a supposedly legendary sword. I had never really paid attention to the legends, so when everyone gasped when I pulled out the sword, I had no idea what the big deal was all about.

Apparently I now held the Master Sword, the Blade of Evil's Bane, the sword used by the Hero from the Sky. No had ever found it in the centuries after his death, and now I, the orphaned farm boy, now had it. _Big freaking deal_, was what I wanted to say to all the excitement. I just wanted to find the sorcerer and kill him before he harmed anyone else.

Of course there was this huge uproar about how this could change the tide of the war, but as the discussion went on and on, I couldn't help but noticed that General Logan was staring at me the whole time. Finally, when everyone seemed to repeating what they had said an hour ago, I had enough. Walking to where this lieutenant was holding the sword, I took it from him and slammed my fist on the table, causing immediate silence. "Will someone please tell me where the sorcerer is so that I may kill him?" I asked the generals.

"I really don't think-" someone had started, but I cut him off.

"I'm not looking for him for revenge," I said clearly. I didn't want them to be mistaken of what I said. "I want to hunt him down before he kills anyone else. Now where is he?"

There was dead silence for a full minute before General Logan spoke. "The Interloper Sorcerer disappeared about a week ago. No one knows where he is now."

"Very well then," I said. "Until he shows himself, I'll be training with this." And with that, I walked out of the pavilion.

Word soon spread of what I had now, but I wasn't paying attention to the gawkers. I had found Captain Ryan and was training with him, relearning everything I had forgotten, while keeping an ear out for all the news coming in, which was not much. The Interlopers were unusually quiet for almost a year, even though from what the others said, the last battle hadn't done much damage to them. They were up to something, but I had no idea what.

Finally, word finally came of a lone sorcerer working on something in the mountains near where I had found the sword. Once more the little voice inside me was screaming at me to go, that he was there. It didn't matter to me that it was only a rumor, that I might be branded a deserter. The sorcerer was near, I had a special delivery with his name on it.

I was actually on Chaser about to leave the camp when two squads came up behind me with General Logan in the lead. At first, I thought he was going to try and stop me, but all he said was "Lead the way." He was coming with me, but I didn't care. If he died during this, that would be his fault. I didn't ask for any of this.

The journey to the mountains was uneventful, but I could sense powerful magic growing in the area. The sorcerer was defiantly there. In fact, he was in this natural bowl right behind the mountain where I had gotten the sword.

It was here that I noticed that the others who had come with me had been talkative the whole way up there, but now they were silent. They were afraid of what lay within the mountains. So was I, but I knew that if I didn't stop him, Hyrule would be overrun. I couldn't help but wonder if they had only come along for the fame of being with the "Hero", as I heard some people call me.

At the top of the bowl, I could see him in the middle with his arms upraised. What he was doing, I have no idea, but I knew it was bad. I heard a whimper behind me and saw that everyone who had followed me, including the general, was hiding in whatever pot they could. There was no way they were going to fight him, even if they were with the one wielding a legendary blade. In their eyes, I was on my own. If only they knew the truth that I was never alone.

I sat for a moment preparing myself for what I thought to be the last fight of my life before I jumped down before the sorcerer. He brought up his own sword that I didn't see before, and the duel began.

It was similar to the one that I had before against the shadow, but this time, I thought of everyone the sorcerer had ever hurt. I let go of my own pain and instead allowed their thirst for justice to flow through me and become the driving force behind my thrusts and strokes against him. But even with a large number of people crying out for his death, there are limits to the body, and sadly, I was so reaching mine.

The sorcerer seemed to know that as well 'cause he soon started adding magic into the fight, which is so cheating. I manage t deflect the blasts he aimed at me, but each one wore me down a little. I had to end this fight soon, or he would win. I caught sight a brief opening, feinted left, and slashed his face.

I don't know if it was the sight of blood, or just the fact that I hit him, but he screamed and went berserk after that. He started leaving huge gaps in his guard, all of which I took advantage of, but no matter how many times I drew blood, he wouldn't stop. Instead, he seemed to just move faster and wilder than before. Thankfully he stopped using magic. Those blast he hit me with _hurt_.

Finally, after what seemed to be forever, the sorcerer let his guard down long enough for me to plunge my sword into his heart. He looked down at the sword as though it was a curious thing instead of what had just killed him, and then screamed as what I guess was his magic tore him from the inside out. The blast knocked me back into a rock, cracking a few ribs, as the sorcerer disappeared into a burst of dark orange light. I tried to get up and make sure he wasn't hiding, but the duel had took a lot out of me and I collapsed on the ground…

ooo0ooo

"…the General and his men brought me back to the camp and told everyone what had happened, with some exaggeration on their part. I was out for about a week, so when I woke up, everyone was calling me a Hero. It took me another week to heal completely, after which I was assigned to a task force designated to rounding up the rest of the Interlopers, and…Well, you know the rest."

Link looked over at the Sorceress. He had been talking for the past two hours, during which she had barely moved, only nodding occasionally to indicate that she understood what he had been saying. He hope that she realized that he was extremely sorry for what he had done, that he was no longer the boy who had started his quest for revenge all those years ago, but she sat there like a statue, looking at the fire that had burned down to embers a while ago, not revealing any emotion, which made him wonder if she was a Gerudo or a Sheikah. They were the only ones that he had known to be able to do that.

After a moment, she sighed. "You made the right choice."

Link gaped at her. "What?"

"The choice you made was the right one." The Sorceress looked at him. "What the Sorcerer King had done condemned him long before you carried out his sentence. You chose to bring justice to those who deserved it. As for what happened to the innocents among those banished, you have my forgiveness, though you do not need it; that choice was beyond your control. Zamur is now dead, and Hyrule is at peace." She frowned. "At least it should be."

Link felt his brow furrow. "Who's Zamur?"

"The sorcerer you killed. He was the leader of the Interlopers." The Sorceress cocked her head. "You did kill him, did you?"

"I don't think so. The ones we captured afterwards said that his name was Karamus," Link said slowly. Did he kill the wrong one?

"Karamus? Are you sure?" The Sorceress asked quickly. There was a note of desperation in her voice.

Link nodded. "Every one of them said his name was Karamus."

"Din, Nayru, and Farore, he's still out there," she breathed. "That's why the creatures remain. He let him take the fall so this would happen."

Link was confused. "Who are you talking about? Who's still out there?"

The Sorceress looked right at Link, her chest heaving. "Karamus was not the true leader of the Interlopers. His brother Zamur was." She lifted a hand to her forehead. "I should've known this would happen. They were both power hungry, but Zamur was not an idiot. He wanted this happen so there would be no one to stop him. I hate to say it, Hero, but you're not done with the Interlopers. Not by a long shot."

"What are you saying?"

"That Zamur is ten times the sorcerer Karamus was." She sighed again. "I was hoping it wouldn't have come to this." Stripping off her gloves, she revealed deeply-tanned hands and forearms before inserting them into her hood. When they reemerged, one of them held the black mask, though she kept her face tilted down where Link couldn't see it. Tossing the mask onto the table, she gripped the edge of her hood and pulled it back, shaking her head to get her hair out of its confining folds, before looking back at Link.

He was staring, and he knew it, but he couldn't help it. The Sorceress appeared to be a girl his own age with red-gold eyes and coppery hair that went past her shoulders, held back by only her long ears. If he had to guess which race she came from, he would've said Gerudo, but there was something in her face that reminded him of the Sheikah, and the Gerudo did not have long ears. It took him a moment to realize that she was speaking and pulled himself back to the matter at hand.

"My name is Avaraleen, daughter of Nervi of the Gerudo and Stephen of the Sheikah," she said slowly. "You have told me your story to justify your actions, now you may hear mine to know who exactly is responsible for the death and destruction Hyrule has seen, and may yet see again. Do you care to hear it?"

Link paused for a moment. The Sorceress, Avaraleen, wanted to tell him her story? Sure he had only told her his to make sure she knew his was sorry for what he had done, but now with the realization that another, more powerful sorcerer was on the loose (the one responsible no less!), the more he knew about his enemy, the better. He looked up at Avaraleen. "I would be honored to hear your tale."

Avaraleen nodded and took a deep breath. "As I said before, I am the daughter of a Sheikah and a Gerudo, and that, more than anything, has set me apart from the others…"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Dang that longest chapter I've written! 20 pages and I've so double my word count now. Ok, well, we now know what Link's been through (a lot), and we find out the Sorceress's name, Avaraleen, (its pronounced a-VAR-ah-LEAN, if you want to know) and we'll get to hear her story, which is going to take me a bit 'cause there's only so much I can writing in between classes and other stuff.<p>

Anyways, to keep you all entertained while I'm busy, here's some trivia for you to think on:

1 .What is the significance of Link's squad, the 37th?

2. Who, or what, is the second boss Link fights?

3. This one's a little harder. Somewhere in the chapter I mentioned two characters not from Zelda, but from a different game altogether. Who are they and what game did I pull their names from? (Hint: it starts with F)

Winner gets mentioned at the top of the next chapter!

So, that's it for this time, I'm off to go find that Carpet Merchant cause I heard he's got a great sale on Bombchus. Please R&R, since I would love to get more reviews here please! Until next time, dragoness of storm out. PEACE!


	6. Fury the Evil Realm Hath No

Special thanks (and virtual cookies) to Lady Isludis, SamuelWeston, SamuraiSal1, Daxo, and crazyemeralddragons for EVERYTHING!

Anyways enough of that for now, on with Avaraleen's tale!

* * *

><p>The first thing you must know is that I'm much older than I look. I'm not going to tell you how old I am, but I can tell you that the current Matriarch is actually my older half-sister by three years. Yes, I do keep track of what happens in the Desert, they are my sisters after all, just as I know what's going on in the Sheikah Caverns, even with…certain circumstances that I will explain later.<p>

Since it's rare for someone to see a Gerudo and a Sheikah to have a normal conversation without attempting to kill each other, you're most likely wondering how I even exist. Well, the story my mother told me was that she met my father in Kakariko one night while on a raid. She was close to her goal when she came across this man who was after the same thing. They fought for a while, and none of them knew who the other was since they didn't use weapons and were in disguise.

After a while, they stopped since neither had gained the upper hand, and decided to call a truce, which in this case means a "one night," if you catch my meaning. In the morning, they saw to both of their horror that they saw who each other was and made the agreement to never mention it again before leaving to their respective bases, the mission unfinished. Obviously, the plan to never mention it didn't really work out.

At first, my mother told the current Matriarch that a Sheikah had already gotten whatever she was after, and, when she found out she was pregnant, said that my father was some random villager who was not a Sheikah she'd found worthy of being the father of a Gerudo (which was true, the "one night" wouldn't have happened if wasn't). The story worked, at least until I was born. It's not as bad here, but if you ever see me among other of the Gerudo, I stick out, a lot, and the real story came out.

Though I was raised and trained as Gerudo, the entire Fortress knew of my father, which resulted in me being similar to an outcast. My mother eventually regained her honor and Navarra quickly became the pride of the Gerudo, but I was always shunted aside. That was probably the main reason I threw myself into the training. The way my six-year-old mind saw it, if I made myself the strongest Gerudo, then they would look over my "weak" Sheikah blood.

But no matter how hard I tried, they never accepted me. I can out-shoot any of them, beat my sister nine times out of ten in sword practice (with live blades), and run from the Fortress to the Desert Colossus faster than anyone (except Portia, but then again, _no one_ could beat her. That girl was fast!), but whenever something went wrong, I was always the one to blame, even if I was on the other side of the Fortress at the time.

The one thing that made me somewhat tolerable was my ability to use magic, and not just any magic, but natural magic (you know, the stuff that's all around Hyrule that's different in each region). Not many with that skill are born among the Gerudo, so, Sheikah blood or not, I was of some use to them. The main magic users there are these twins, Koume and Kotake, who have been around for about two centuries, and were my teachers. They specialize in fire and ice, in that order, but that was only what they told the Fortress. Where their real talent lay was in black magic.

As thieves we are quite tolerate of some things, but one of the things that no one can stand is black magic. The moment I found out, I tried to inform the Fortress, however, being the outcast, no one listened to me until I had my sister hide in the room and see those two use it. Having a witness everyone loved got their attention.

Judgment in the desert is, if anything, swift. The Matriarch and the Exalted One (we were between kings at the time; the current one is about your age now) both agreed on the same sentence: death. But before anyone could carry out the sentence, they disappeared. No one knows where they went, but I know for a fact they're not dead yet. They are, _were,_ Gerudo after all.

Things changed for me in the Fortress, but not by much. I had only redeemed myself a little in their eyes, and leadership was about shift. The Matriarch, who was one of the few who liked me, was dying, and the candidates to replace her were mostly from the group that couldn't wait to find a way to get rid of me. Those that tolerated me were few, and none had the support the others had. I knew that I would have to go soon.

I was fifteen when the Matriarch died, and Asheena was named her successor. Asheena hated the Sheikah ever since one supposedly stole her "boyfriend of the month", so it was only a matter of time before she found some fault with me. Unfortunately for her, I had left the Fortress the moment I heard who had been named. My plan was to find the Sheikah headquarters and join them, hopefully with the help of my father.

When you have spent your entire life among people who are constantly looking for things that are hard to find, finding the Sheikah was all too easy. Convincing them that I was the daughter of one of their own was something completely different. You see, they had the same problem as the Gerudo; they could only see the side they hated, and ignored the other.

After three challenges, two imprisonments (and escapes, their so-called "dungeons" are terrible!), and several long arguments, I finally was able to speak to the Sheikah Council. Now among the Gerudo, I was known for having one of the slowest tempers in the Fortress, but that council was so infuriating, I will admit that I lost it. I didn't shout, but I did mention a few Gerudo phrases that didn't exactly sit well with the men, which was most of the council.

To make a long and rather embarrassing (for the Sheikah) story short, ALL of the men jumped up and demanded my head, but I lead them on a rather good chase around (and underneath) the village until everyone gave up. It was at this point that I…uh…_accidently_ found myself in the same room as the leader of the Sheikah, where we had a conversation…Oh forget it. I followed him into his quarters/rooms/whatever-that-space-he-was-at-is-called and pretty much said that if he didn't let me join the Sheikah, I would find a way to bring the Gerudo into the Caverns, which mostly likely would lead to all of the Evil Realm breaking lose.

So, albeit rather under-handed and completely way-below-the-belt methods, I got into the Sheikah, who, despite what they say, are completely into that kind of thing (seriously, part of my testing was picking the pocket of a Hylian Guard and getting away from the captain who eventually saw me. I had to use some..um…defensive maneuvers). And here I was thinking they were a bunch of weaklings…

I have heard of the two week training they give to the Army, but I will tell you that is nothing compared to the full course. Some, well most, of it was stuff I already knew how to do from the Gerudo, but other things, such as the freezing cold, was new. While you boys were swimming up the river with everything you had and doing some light sneaking, while supervised, I had to run from one side of Hyrule Field to the other with only my scimitars (at least I did before I traded them in for two of the Sheikah blades, their lighter, faster, and deadlier, not to mention easier to hide) while following someone who doesn't want to be followed, and trying to avoid everyone and their grandmother. To top it all off, I'm doing this with kids half my age.

But while you were supervised all the time, I wasn't, which meant I could cheat, which I did a few times. There are these certain areas that are virtually impossible for a Sheikah to get into, but as a Gerudo, they are practically child's play (which is quite literally; I learned to flirt at age ten…) and so I used this to my advantage, much to everyone else's annoyance. Technically, what I did was illegal, (according to the Sheikah Law, no Sheikah can impersonate a Gerudo) but sometimes blood ties do win out.

I did learn more on magic while I was with them, building up on what those twins had taught me. The magic of the Sheikah Caverns is different from the one in the desert, but on a certain level they are the same, just like the people who surround them. Honestly, I think that the rivalry between the two races is nothing more than a child's squabble blown way out of proportion, but if there was a way to make them work together, whoever was up against them would be in serious trouble.

Normally it takes about eight years of training before a Sheikah is allowed to take their rite of passage, and, since they start around nine, most of them are seventeen.

I took about a year and a half, and that was with only _minimum_ cheating (if I wanted to, I could've finished in about eight months, even with the Sheikah Council watching me like a hawk), which meant that I could take the rite with everyone my age. There's not much I can say about the rite to someone not of the Sheikah, but I can say that it wasn't all that bad compared to the Gerudo version, which is undergone at fourteen.

What I can tell you is that they were harder on me than anyone else. While the others were allowed to make minor mistakes that would most likely get them killed in the field, I was expected to know better and not make any. I think that they were trying to make it so hard that I would quit, but I love a challenge. Besides, they did have a point; I had gone through the virtually the same training twice, so I should know better. My performance was flawless and in direct following of _their_ law, much to their disappointment.

The final trial of the rite involves combat with a member of the young Sheikah's family. Now I had not seen my father at all during my time there, so I was rather looking forward to the man my mother had deemed worthy of fathering a Gerudo (even now there are times I am still Gerudo, or Sheikah; it depends on the situation) so when I first lay eyes on Stephen, my first thought was _My mother choose him?_

Stephen was one of those people you forget soon after you met them, but what my father lacked in appearance, he made up for in skill. In fact, the first words he said to me were "I hope your mother taught you well" the first time we locked blades. Now at this time, I had been using one blade with the other hidden behind me (yes, I still fight with two blades. I've been doing it forever, so I wasn't about to stop just because it's _traditional_ to fight with one). When I heard that, I knew he didn't want just the same Sheikah techniques he knew and the Council expected; he wanted me to show the exact warrior I was: the Gerudo with the blood of a Sheikah, so I drew out my second sword and did exactly that.

I have to admit I caught him off-guard. It's one thing to expect Gerudo maneuvers done with a pair of broad scimitars; it's another thing to attempt to deflect them when they're done with a much narrower blade. You see, during my time among the Sheikah, there had been times when I had secretly practiced my own style of fighting, which was a combination of both Gerudo and Sheikah techniques. No one had ever seen me do this, and so it came to no surprise to me to hear the gasps and murmurs coming from those watching. I really didn't care that I was breaking all of their precious rules about the Gerudo. I was half-Gerudo, so the rules didn't apply to me.

That fight was the beginning of the end of my time among the Sheikah. It lasted fifteen minutes before the two of us were standing in the middle of the room with one of my blades at his neck and the other burying the point of his own in the ground. Those watching were silent, stunned by what they had just seen. The silence was broken by my father presenting me with the emblem of the Sheikah and saying "_Velkommen, datter af skygger_." (Welcome, daughter of the Shadows), officially declaring me an adult of the Shadow People

And then all the Evil Realm broke loose.

Someone came in at that moment screaming that Dastan, the oldest Sheikah in the Caverns, was dead with a Gerudo scimitar in his chest. Three guesses who was the main suspect was even though she was on the far side of the place at the time and hadn't used a scimitar in months (I honestly thought they had been melted down or something like that).

That was one of the few times in my life that I froze, but thankfully my father hadn't. I don't know how he did it, but Stephen managed to pull me out of there and into this forgotten storage room before anything too drastic happened. Hiding wasn't really an option (_hello_, they're not called the Shadow Folk for nothing), but there was a forgotten passageway to Death Mountain hidden in the back. It was the only way I was going to get out of there alive since the first thing the Sheikah do is seal off all the entrances to Kakariko Village in an effort to protect the villagers.

That was the last time I saw my father, but I still remember to this day what he said to me: "You are now Sheikah, a daughter of the Shadows, but you are also Gerudo, a daughter of the Desert. Never forget where you came from!" And then he was gone…forever.

I stayed among the Gorons for a while, but eventually I had to leave before the Sheikah found me there. Lucky for me, Kakariko is not the only place to get to Death Mountain; there a door to the Lost Woods hidden in a remote part of Goron City. At first I was nervous about coming here, but soon I found out that one can become a Stalfos, but only if they _die_ here. As long as you keep your wits about you, this place holds little danger.

For the next few decades (yes, I said _decades_), I wandered throughout Hyrule using the Lost Doors. I believe that my use of the natural magicks around Hyrule, especially the one that permeates this forest, has kept me from aging, but it only made things harder for me as I am now more recognizable to many. Despite that, I was able to spend several years among each of the different races, learning whatever they care to teach me, but the hostility between the races now was present then, so I was never in one place for very long. I have delved into the depths of Lake Hylia and explored the molten caverns at the heart of Death Mountain. I walked in the grottos of the Zora's Domain, travelled to the far northern mountains, braved the fiercest winds of the Desert, and trekked the hidden caverns of the Sheikah.

I have seen all of Hyrule, seen why the Goddesses chose this land, and yet there is no place for me. I was alone…

…At least, until _he_ came.

Almost twenty-five years ago, I was living in the wasteland in between the Desert and Hyrule Field when I was approached by a pair of mages. There are certain subtle signs that reveal whether or not someone is a mage, and I could easily handle both of them back then, but it had been so long since I had any visitors that I let them come. Usually I would've blasted them to ciders on the spot, which I should've. Even then I could sense that something was not right about them.

The mages were a pair of brothers, one gifted with the power of speech, the other with a cunning mind. Both were the ordinary mages, only able to use magic that was inside them instead of around them, but it was the story they told me was what stayed my hand, much to my regret. They said that they had once been Sheikah, but had been exiled for practicing a form of magic that was forbidden. It was not dark magic, they assured me, but something different and much more powerful. Their tale was so much like mine that for the one time in my life, I didn't listen to what both my Gerudo and my Sheikah blood were telling me that they were lying to gain my trust. A mistake that cost the lives of so many…

Karamus was the elder of the two by four years, and was the one who told the tale. At the end of it, he spoke of a group that the two of them had started, one that was practicing this powerful form of magic. He invited me to join them, saying they could use someone with my skills and expertise with the different magicks of Hyrule. His words were so compelling and I had been alone for so long, I fell for his act.

I became one of what eventually would become the Interlopers.

I still lived in the wasteland, but I visited them often at their main camp in the north. As is my nature, I didn't trust all of them, but I did become very good friends with Medina, Karamus's and Zamur's younger sister. You've actually met her; she was the one who officially surrendered to the king after you killed Karamus. If there was any good that came out of me allied with the Interlopers, it was what we did when I found out exactly what the brothers were up to.

For over ten years, I listened to their lies and believed them without any hesitation. Those who followed them were mostly outcasts from the Sheikah tribe, those found guilty of practicing black magic or for crimes that they did not commit. I didn't know this at the time, but then, I believed the past was the past, and there was nothing one could do about it now. I'm not so naiveté now.

There was another reason why I listened to them. Despite my better judgment, I had fallen for Zamur. He was the most talented mage I ever had known, and that is including Koume and Kotake. He could come up with spells and incantations that no one had ever thought of, and he is the one who helped me find the connection between five out of the six magicks in Hyrule. He said he would be there for me when no one else would, and I believed him right up until he betrayed me.

You know the phrase "The Evil Realm hath no fury like a woman scorned?" That's only for regular women. Amp that up about ten times and you got the rage of a Gerudo/Sheikah sorceress betrayed by the one who she'd thought loved her because that son of a Leever didn't just bail out on me when we were cornered in Kakariko by nine Sheikah; he had set me up all those years ago.

He left and I was surrounded in a way that I could not escape from, and they knew exactly who I was (it's hard not to forget someone who hasn't changed in about three decades). I let them take me on the assumption that I would be able to break out of any cell they threw me in, but I was not prepared for what came next.

One of the Sheikah had recognized Zamur, and when we all got back to the Caverns, I was told the real story. Karamus and Zamur were the ones who had stolen one of my scimitars and killed Dastan all those years ago. What their plan was then, I have no idea, but what I do know is this; their powerful "non-dark-magic" magic was actually a twisted version of the sacred power left here by the Goddesses. Somehow, they had managed to create this magical object of concentrated Shadow magic that they were planning on somehow getting into the Sacred Realm. What this thing does is amplify the magic of whoever has it by redirecting any surrounding magic back to the user. If they had gotten it into the Sacred Realm, it would allow them to use the golden power there, and Hyrule would be in darkness now.

There are certain things we mortals should never attempt to control, and one of those things is divine magic. So when I heard that Karamus and Zamur were planning, I couldn't believe that they would attempt to do such a thing, and when I heard that they were the ones who had set me up, I was livid. However, I was only the first one they had done that to. The others who had been falsely accused were also victims of their actions. Both of them had been deceiving the innocent ones among them for years.

The Sheikah knew that I was innocent then, so they didn't imprison me, but they did tried to keep me at the Caverns as they arranged for a team of assassins to take the brothers out. As if I was going to wait for someone else to do what I should've done years ago. It was a simple matter for me to sneak out of the Caverns and make my way north to where the encampment was and confronted Zamur. At first he tried to deny all of it, but as I presented evidence of what he and Karamus had done, he admitted it.

Unfortunately for him, I had staged the argument in the middle of the camp, so everyone heard it. They listened to every word we said, and at the end of it, Medina asked why. Such a simple question, but one that I and many others wanted to know the answer to. Why had they done this? Why had they ruined the lives of so many? Why did they want to corrupt what the Goddesses had left Hyrule?

Their answer took forever to get, but in the end, it all came to this; they wanted more than what they had been given, and they were willing to do anything to get it.

I know the dangers of immense power from some unfortunate experiments that I'm lucky to have survived. Karamus and Zamur did as well, but they didn't care as long as they got what they wanted. But what made me walk out of that camp was when Zamur said that if I was going to be so "caring" as he put it, I could just leave. I did just that, a few days later.

You see, Medina was of the same mindset as me, even though she was a little hot-headed at times, and we came up with a plan to break the Fused Shadow (that was what we were calling the thing the brothers were using). The plan was to leave them one piece and hide the rest somewhere, but there was a slight problem. Remember the assassination team the Sheikah was sending? They showed up when we were in the middle of breaking the thing.

I'm guessing that one of the assassins had tripped an alarm, which woke the whole camp up. Both Medina and I knew that in the case of any emergency, the brothers would make their way to were the Fused Shadow was to protect it, so we had to get out of there, but we were so close that we kept going. It came down to the point where Karamus was almost in the tent when the thing finally broke into four pieces. Seeing how our original plan was not going to happen, I told Medina to grab a piece and go while I held off Karamus and Zamur. It was a stupid plan, but one I was willing to go through with. This is where I found out how much Medina hated her brothers; not only did she grab the biggest of the four pieces, she also cast an illusion of the missing piece so no one would know what we did.

She had just managed to get out just as both brothers came in. They saw me, then they saw the broken Fused Shadow behind me, and then both they tried to kill me. Thank Farore for Deku nuts, or I would have never gotten out of there alive. Unfortunately, the same could not have been said for the assassination team. None of them made it out of there alive. They were all slaughtered before they had gotten anywhere close to the brothers. I saw it all happen from the top of a hill nearby, so I sent a message to the Sheikah that the mission had failed before I went into hiding.

I'm sorry to say this Link, but if you're wondering why the Interlopers attacked your village, I believe that I am the cause of it. The day after I left, they began attacking the outlying villages. They all had wanted to it before, but I had usually talked them all out of it. With me no longer in the picture, they were free to do as they wished.

The whole time the Interlopers were at large, I was in hiding. Occasionally I would find some way to mess up their plans or hinder them from doing something until later, but I will admit that I was afraid of Zamur finding me. I still felt something towards him, even though he was a murderer; nevertheless, I knew that if he found me, I would be nothing more than a source of power that he would never, ever, get. Ever, and I plan to keep it that way.

It was when the war started that I really began taking risks. I heard through the criminal network (yes, I deal with them, I am Gerudo, but only for information!) that Karamus had become more and more irrational in his motives, which either meant Zamur was dead or was working on something important, and, knowing him, it was most likely the latter. I think it was him and not Karamus looking for William, it was more his style. I actually met William once because he asked me for directions to Death Mountain Peak. However, I do know that it was Karamus who you met in the northern mountains because I had Zamur's attention during that time. I won't say exactly how, but I can account for his actions for about three months, which involved trying to convince me to join him with very… forceful methods.

I have to commend you on your timing; when you confront him for the final time, Karamus was attempting to open a portal to the Sacred Realm. At that point, he only had a fourth of the Fused Shadows (after Medina and I broke it, the brothers had each taken two pieces, but Karamus had the illusion one), but it might have been enough for what he was planning to do. I really don't know, but I don't care to find out any time soon. Anyways, how he had set up the spell was that he was going to use half of his power to attempt the portal opening and the other half as protection. Obviously, he based his protection on the illusion piece, so he didn't have any. One of his short-comings was that if something of his failed, he can't focus properly, which is why he went psychotic during your duel when you drew blood.

When word came to Zamur of his brother's intentions, it distracted him long enough for me to get out of there. I was making my way to where I knew an encampment of the innocent Interlopers (the ones who refused to follow the brothers when they revealed their intentions) led by Medina was, but the Army had already gotten there. I followed them to the Mirror Chamber and saw the sentencing and the punishment. I was in no condition to do anything except watch from the shadows as they went through that thing. They should be alright with Medina to lead them…

ooo000ooo

"…Afterwards I came to live here with the hope that all of this would go away and I would be able to resume my travels, but Zamur is talented in remaining hidden if he wishes. I actually though you had destroyed both Karamus and Zamur, but I should've known he was still alive because of…certain things."

The sun had caused shadows to slant against the eastern wall. Link still sat at the table with a bowl empty of the broth Avaraleen had dished out for him as she had told her tale. He was a little amazed at how she could make him eat and talk at the same time, but it was overwhelmed by the shock that he had been tracking the wrong sorcerer the whole time. He tapped his spoon against the bowl, thinking.

"How did the Sheikah not know that this Zamur is still out there?" he said after a while. "I mean, if they had banished him, you'd think that they would've kept an eye on him."

Avaraleen shrugged. "I think he faked his death somewhere down the line. It's worked in the past, so I wouldn't put it past him." She had removed her cloak during her recounting, revealing a rather simple black dress underneath in a style that had it lace up her back. Looking out the window, she saw the sun's position. "You better get back to bed. We've got a long day tomorrow. I've just received permission that we can spend the winter at Kokiri Village."

Link looked down at the rumpled hearth rug. "No, you can have your bed back. I can sleep on the floor."

"Absolutely not." There was steel in Avaraleen's voice. "You're not completely healed yet, and before you go all chivalrous on me, I've slept on worse things than a rug over a wooden floor." She pointed at the bed. "You. Bed. Now."

With a groan that was part exasperation, part pain from his side from twisting around to get out of his chair, Link did as she ordered. He slipped under the blankets fully clothed, exhaustion tugging on his eyelids. Despite that, he could sense that Avaraleen was hiding something that did not have to deal with the secrets of the Gerudo and the Sheikah. He was wondering what it was when his head hit the pillow and he slipped into unconsciousness…

ooo000ooo

Avaraleen waited until she heard the deep, even breathing of Link asleep before letting out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Din's Fire, he knew. He knew she was hiding something, but how could she explain how she held Zamur's attention from him during his quest? The subject was one she avoided even _thinking _about, but the pain in her lower back never let her forget it.

She looked over at where he was sleeping. He looked so innocent, more like the carefree boy he was supposed to be than the Hero he had become. No, he didn't need to know what she had been through. She wouldn't let that be on his conscious when it wasn't his burden to bear.

The pain in her lower back throbbed again, causing her to grimace. She rose and walked over to the mirror, unlacing the bottom of her bodice as she did. Pulling it apart, she stood with her back to the mirror and sighed. It was still there, and the arrival of the Hero had aggravated it again. Once more she cursed Zamur. If only he hadn't known how to do it…

Avaraleen sighed again as she relaced her bodice. Dwelling on the past would get her nowhere. There were more pressing matters at hand, such as the reason why Link was now here. She had her reasons for not going, but they were irrelevant compared to what was potentially at stake. Besides, Zamur had only been at the bottom tier of the high-ranking Sheikah when he had been banished, so maybe someone higher up could help her…

With a glance towards Link to make sure he was fast asleep, she silently made her way silently to the wardrobe in the corner. She pressed a combination of the symbols on the front and it opened. To the casual observer, it only contained mundane items used for healing and minor spell-casting, but only she knew of the compartment in the bottom that she now opened. Inside were various items she had collected over her travels, but at the very bottom laid a necklace of black metal in the shape of a songbird. To be more specific, it was in the shape of a nightingale, the Sheikah interpretation of her name.

_How you used to call me that_, she said silently, _and one I was until you betrayed me. You broke my heart and tried to capture me with your cage of gilded lies. You killed me in that dungeon, but from the ashes rises the phoenix. I was too Sheikah with you last time, _boy. Closing the compartment and the wardrobe, she rose and went to the dying fire, which blazed as it sensed her fury. The flames flickered in her eyes, turning them more golden than before_. You saw only the Shadow and forgot the Desert._ With one swift motion, she tossed the necklace into the flames and watched it melt.

_By Din, Nayru, and Farore,_ she vowed silently. _I will first make sure you never get that sword._

_And then I will hunt you down, with or without the Hero._

* * *

><p>Author's note: Sorry for the delay, but, eh, school. Seems that there isn't a week I don't have to write <em>something<em>. But what about that ending, huh? For all the guys reading this, be warned: we girls can plan revenge without you ever knowing.

On a happier note, here's the anwers to last chapter's trivia:

37 refers to the 3 Goddesses and the 7 Sages

Gyorg from Majora's Mask (Daxo gets the cookie for this)

Swift and Logan from Fable III. (I kinda changed their status to make them fit in the story)

Yeah, yeah, I know, I got Fable characters in a Zelda story, but I needed names, and they worked.

So that's it for now. Please R&R and I will post the next chapter as soon as poss**-**Postman runs by.**** So that's where my Bunny Hood went! **** returns to present** **I'll see you later! dragoness of storm, out!

Fun Fact- the Sheikah Language is Danish! Or at least Google Translator's version of Danish.


	7. Sheikah Moments and Gerudo Looks

Special thanks to SamuraiSal1 for the review and to everyone else who took the time to read this.

* * *

><p><em>All of time seemed to have frozen.<em>

_Before him rose a dark shade, silhouetted by a bright light behind it. In one hand it held a woman in a white dress by her throat while the other held a sword._

_The woman kicked a few times before she went limp. The shade released its grip, sending her into a motionless pile at its feet._

_He lay on the ground, weaponless, as the shade began to walk slowly toward him. Sharp pain preventing him from moving away as it finally stood over him and raised the sword, but he was able to push himself upright. He refused to look away from it, even though that the shade was clear that it was about to stab him through the heart._

_Just as the sword began to descend, a blur of color flashed by. Something pushed him back and there was a sharp intake of breath as a sharp object pieced his chest._

_He looked down at the length of bloody steel before him and the blood now staining his tunic and could only think one thing:_

That's not mine.

ooo000ooo

Early the next morning, Link found himself following Avaraleen through the twisting path of the forest. He could still sense that she was hiding something from him, but he wasn't focused on that right now. It seemed that every five steps he took lead him to a spot where he had fought something on his first trip through, and he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. That, and another matter; the night before he'd had a dream with such clarity that he knew it had to be important. He shivered and hoped that whatever the dream meant, it didn't involve someone else dying for him.

"Relax, Hero, the creatures shouldn't attacked again until nightfall." Link glanced up from the log he'd been staring at to see Avaraleen looking at him. She once more wore her black cloak and gloves, but had left her mask back at the cabin, saying that the Kokiri had already seen her face more than once.

"You sure on that?" he asked.

She gave him a hunter's smile, all teeth, no mercy. "They learned a long time ago that I'm not like any other who's walked among these trees, so they think they have an advantage over me at night when the Stalchilds come out to play." She looked around as she continued to follow the barely visible trail. "Never have I ever been so underestimated, but what can you expect from something with no brains?"

Link suppressed a shiver that was not caused by the crisp autumn air. Though that smile had not been for him, he never wanted to be on the receiving end of it, or at least one from her. It had both the promise of a Gerudo's retribution and the certainty a Sheikah's vengeance, and both of them were to be avoided on their own. Combined…Link didn't want to even be _near_ the one who it was for.

In a hurried tactic to change the subject, Link asked, "So why are we going to the Kokiri Village?"

"It's a lot warmer there than in this part of the Lost Woods," was the reply. "Din knows that I hate the cold." Avaraleen stopped where the visible path ended and looked at Link. "Stay behind me at all times and step where I step. The closer we are to the Kokiri, the more dangerous it is for us. The Great Deku Tree can be very protective of his children."

The inner forest was daunting, giving the strong impression that outsiders were not welcomed by any means. Link followed Avaraleen's directions to the letter, allowing her to make the first move before he followed. He fingered the tip of his sword from where it protruded from his right side, hoping he wouldn't need it this time.

Half an hour later, laughter sounded the arrival of the Skull Kids. "We're close," Avaraleen said. "The Skull Kids stay around here when the weather turns cold."

Link nodded, then frowned as the music he had noticed last time was threading its way through the trees. "Where is that music coming from?" he asked.

Avaraleen paused and listened for a moment before answering, "The heart of the forest. The Great Deku Tree is old, but it is not by any means the oldest thing in this forest, nor is it at the very center. It is a place that some of the Kokiri visit frequently. Tamera is one of them."

Link felt his eyes widen. "Have you ever been there?"

"I've been close to it; the Lost Doors I use are around the fringes, but no, I've never been there myself. There is a residue of ancient magic in that place, and that's something I don't want to mess with." Avaraleen looked up at what little sky was visible through the thick leaves. "Oh, we should be there in time for dinner! Hopefully the Brothers aren't cooking."

"Brothers?" Link asked, a little confused.

Avaraleen laughed. "I keep forgetting that the only Kokiri you know is Tamera. The Brothers I'm referring to are the Know-It-All Brothers. While they do know a lot about a variety of things, sadly cooking is not one of them. I was here once when they were experimenting with Deku Nuts still in the shell, and, well let's just say that they were lucky I was around and could patch them up quickly." She stopped before a huge hollowed out log on its side. "Ah, here we are."

Link looked at the log with one eyebrow raised. "This is it?"

"Not everything is as it seems, Hero." Avaraleen seemed to be enjoying herself as she pointed at a spot about waist high on the inside of the log. "Take a look."

Bending a little, Link was able to decipher a notice written in a childish scrawl:

_Entrance to Kokiri Village. Forest Folk Only! This Means YOU!_

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," he said weakly. "They live in a log?"

"No, the log is merely part of the entrance," she said with a note of suppressed laughter. "But I pointed that out to you for a reason, so you may want to brace yourself. The Great Deku Tree may have given us permission, but the Kokiri don't know you." She gestured for him to take the lead. "Heroes first."

Link looked at the dark interior of the log. "I thought the term was 'Ladies first?'"

"The lady insists that you go first." One side of her mouth was now curled upwards as she jerked her thumb to the log. "Or is the mighty Hero afraid of a village full of children?"

"Only of ones you know," he muttered quietly before entering the log. He found that the dark interior was misleading since he had only taken six steps and was now on a short rope-and-wood bridge that spanned a short ravine. The other end of the bridge was anchored by (out of all things) another dark hollow log. _What is with all the creepy dark logs here?_ He thought to himself. He glanced behind him to see Avaraleen standing there, a smile playing on her lips. _This isn't good._

It was only short distance to the other side, but it was one Link crossed with anticipation and a little trepidation. Whatever Avaraleen was smiling at meant that something was going on. When he emerged on the other side of the second log, he caught a glimpse of a glade dotted with rather stumpy trees when something small rammed into his left leg, causing him to lose his balance for a bit. Before he could regain it or even see what hit him, another ran into his right leg, and he fell over. Soon he was swarmed over by little people in green as they all united to pin him down. As soon as he couldn't move, a reedy voice piped up "We got him!"

Laughter erupted from somewhere on his right, so he twisted to see Avaraleen standing next to the log, clutching her side as she gazed at the scene. "I did try to warn you," she choked out with a huge smile. "Oh how the mighty has fallen!" She caught her breath and straightened before coming over to the pile that Link was the bottom to. "Alright, everyone, let him up."

One by one, Link's attackers separated themselves from the pile until all that was left was Link himself lying on his back attempting to get air back into his squashed lungs. Pulling himself to his knees, he looked up at Avaraleen. "You set me up," he accused.

"Guilty!" she said, still smiling as she offered him a hand and helped pull himself to his feet. "But I couldn't resist."

"Hmph," was Link's reply, but already he was planning his revenge. Some part of him, his mischief side, had woken up after years of lying dormant, and that stream in the middle was looking rather inviting. But how to get her there….

He was jolted out of his musings by a hard tug on his shirt. Looking down, he saw Tamera standing there with a grin plastered all over her face. "So how was the trip?" she asked sweetly.

Link grimaced. "Painful."

Tamera looked shocked. "What?"

"Link had a run in with some creatures in that part of the Lost Woods." Avaraleen's smile faded a little. "I need to tell the Great Deku Tree about them, and speaking of that, we need to present ourselves to him." She took his arm and pulled him to the stream, where they hopped across a few platforms to the other side. A narrow pathway twisted through the trees before them, one that Avaraleen followed without any hesitation.

Link let her take the lead (she knew more about this than he did), but he did wonder who, or what, the Great Deku Tree was. Obviously it was a tree, but what did it do to protect the Lost Woods and those who lived there? And how can a tree talk?

So lost was he in his thoughts that Link didn't realize that Avaraleen had stopped until he walked right into her. She gave him a reproachful glare before tilting her head towards the clearing in front of them. Though the clearing was about a third the size of the Kokiri Village, it felt even smaller due to the immense tree in the center that somehow had manifested a face in its bark.

"Link, let me do all the talking," Avaraleen whispered. "He doesn't know you, and he got a little upset when I first came here, so he might react a little harshly towards you. Just do what I do, and speak only when spoken to." She stepped into the clearing.

Link let out a small sigh. "Just like guard duty," he muttered as he followed her to a spot about ten feet away from the "face" and copied her movements as she knelt and inclined her head towards the tree. "Greetings, Great Deku Tree," she said.

_**Greetings, Sorceress.**_ Link jumped as a disembodied deep male voice rang throughout the clearing, but it also seemed to be inside his head as well. _**Is this the one ye spoke of earlier?**_

"Yes. This is Link, the one who wields the Blade of Evil's Bane and the one many call Hero." Avaraleen gestured towards Link as she spoke.

_**Greetings, Link, Bearer of the Blade**_. The Great Deku Tree seemed to look at him as it "spoke" (honestly Link was a little caught off-guard about being addressed by a tree that didn't move the mouth it appeared to have).

At a nudge from Avaraleen, Link cleared his throat and said, "Greetings, Great Deku Tree."

_**Thou art welcome to this forest. Thou hast slain a great evil and prevented a terrible darkness from descending upon Hyrule, and thou art but a youth. Thou calls to mind the one that came before ye.**_ There was note of approval in the tree's voice.

This time Link didn't need Avaraleen's signal. He bowed his head again as he replied, "I thank you, Great Deku Tree."

The tree returned his attention to Avaraleen. _**I sense a thought within ye, Sorceress. What troubles thou?**_

Avaraleen hesitated a moment before she spoke. "Great Deku Tree, I fear the evil has not been slain. Yes a great evil was destroyed, but it was not the true one. This threat sleeps yet, but it will not be long before it awakens. Already its foul creatures roam the northern part of the forest." She looked at Link. "The Hero accidentally stumbled across some of them on his journey towards my dwelling."

_**The Stalfos have always roamed the forest, along with the Stalchilds and the Mad Scrubs**_, the tree said with something akin to a sigh. _**Thou knowest this, Sorceress.**_

Avaraleen tilted her head to the side. "Then what are Wolfos and Golden Skulltulas doing here?" she shot back. "Never before have they been seen in the forest."

The tree was silent for a while, and then he spoke again_**. Thou speakest the truth. The borders have grown dark as of late, but it will not penetrate this glade for some time, if at all. I thank ye for this warning, Sorceress, but do not let this trouble thy heart. For now, be merry among the Kokiri as winter passes. I sense that when the time comes, thou will knowest what thou must do.**_ The voice faded as he spoke his final words.

Avaraleen inclined her head towards the Great Deku Tree once more before she rose to her feet. Link hurriedly copied her, confused as to what just happened. He could tell that there was something was going on concerning Avaraleen, but it didn't seem to be any of his business, so he decided to let it go. Besides, they were about to cross the stream again, which meant that is was the perfect time for him to enact his revenge. He waited until they were on the middle platform before shoving her off and into the water.

She surfaced with a sputtered "What the-!" Then she saw Link standing there with a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Payback's a pain when it's done by a master mischief-maker," he announced cheerfully.

"Oh, you are so dead," she snarled, but the threat was weakened by her own smile as she pulled herself out of the water. "I guess we're even now."

"Maaay-be," Link said, dragging out the word. "It depends on what torment you put me through next."

Avaraleen gave him a sly look. "I have all winter to plan that, oh mighty Hero, so you better be on your guard."

ooo000ooo

The first week was a blur as Link was introduced to every Kokiri in the village (there was about thirty) and was given a tour by what seemed every single one of them, during which he discovered that the rather stumpy trees he'd noticed earlier were the homes of the Kokiri. He endured a four-hour lecture from all three of the Know-It-All Brothers (it would have gone on longer if Avaraleen hadn't took pity on him and dragged him out of the house) and played endless rounds of dodge-the-Skull-Kids (who enjoyed dropping Deku Nuts on his head when he wasn't looking). It wasn't until early the second day of the next week that he was able to put in some much-needed sword practice.

"You're not bad, for a Hylian."

Link turned around to see Avaraleen leaning against one of the surrounding trees that shielded him from the rest of the village. She had shed both her cloak and gloves within the first day of their arrival, revealing the two Sheikah swords strapped to her lower back. Her coppery hair was pulled back into a simple braid as her red-gold eyes gleamed in the early morning light. He became aware that he was shirtless, and how she was next to the branch it was hanging on.

"What do you mean, 'For a Hylian'?" he asked, lowering his sword point to the ground.

"I'm Gerudo and Sheikah, remember?" She pushed herself off the tree and walked forward. "My style's different. Care to compare?"

Link shrugged. "Sure, why not?" He took the ready-stance as she stood across from him and drew one of her short swords.

"I'll go easy on you and just use one for now." She held the sword point down. "Make your move."

Link eyed the short length of steel, mentally comparing it to the sword he had. How it was better, he had no idea since he had both reach and leverage with the longer blade, but there had to be a reason for her to be using two of them for the past few decades. That, and there was the odd fact that she was also offering to fight him while in a dress and barefoot. Filing that away, he swung his sword into an upward cut.

Avaraleen immediately stepped forward and twisted so that she had her back towards him while her sword intercepted his near the hilt, deflecting it to the side. She continued twisting so that she was to his left and was able to attempt a strike of her own. Link had been taken back by her speed that he was barely able to parry the blow and retaliate.

Time lost all meaning to them as they slashed, blocked, and parried from one end of the small clearing to the other. Link now saw why she preferred the shorter blade; she was not as strong as him physically, but the shorter blade offered speed and flexibility that would be impossible with a longer blade. It meant that she had to step well within the reach of his sword, but she didn't need the space he did to deliver her more powerful blows and was often in a position where he could barely block the incoming strike. She also deflected more than blocking, which allowed her to conserve more of her strength in case the duel lasted for an extended period of time.

Finally, as he lunged forward, she sidestepped and ran her blade down the length of his. It hit the cross-guard and bounced off, but it was merely a distraction to make him hesitate. She used the momentum to twirl it in a quick circle and swiftly flick it up to his chin just as he was about to perform an overhand swing. He froze, feeling the icy prick of the steel on his skin. They stool there for a moment, panting slightly from the recent exertions.

"Not bad," she said, lowering her sword the same time he did, "though I can tell you're used to fighting with a shield."

Link nodded, still trying to catch his breath. "You're fast," he gasped.

She gave him a half-shrug. "Have to be. Both Sheikah and Gerudo techniques rely very little on pure strength and more on speed." Pushing back a stray strand of hair that had escaped her braid she continued, "There's definite room for improvement. I can help you there, if you want."

Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he gave her a raised eyebrow. "Really?"

She gave him a sidelong glance. "Unless you want to spend all winter playing hide-and-seek with the Kokiri." She smiled at his shudder. "I'll take that as a yes. Let's meet here three times a week, and I can help hone your skills."

Link nodded again and she left, but not after giving his bare torso a sly wink, which caused him to hurriedly grab his shirt and pull it on. He scowled at her retreating form as she laughed at him. Sometimes it was hard to tell when she was either Gerudo or Sheikah (or neither), but other times it was all too clear what she was, and he hated it when she was Gerudo.

ooo000ooo

It was easy to fall into a routine in a place that never changed. The weather was always mild in Kokiri Village, as though it was summer instead of the middle winter. Outside the temperature plunged well below freezing, driving anything living into everything that could be used as a shelter. Stalfos and Wolfos stilled roamed the forest, but none ventured into the log entrance. Inside, Link explored what areas he was allowed in the village, visited Chaser behind Tamera's house (he was growing fat and loving all the attention he was getting from the Kokiri), traded riddles with the Skull Kids, and trained with Avaraleen.

The training sessions were demanding, but very rewarding. Not only did she show him techniques that were officially Sheikah or Gerudo (they were actually fair game for anyone willing to learn), she also taught him the basics of hand-to-hand combat, which she was very proficient in. It wasn't long before he fashioned himself a shield from a fallen tree to help defend himself when she used both of her blades. He never won, but he did make her work for each victory.

Not all was well in the forest, though. The lack of physical changes in the glade did make Link feel as though he would forget why he was there, so he made the habit of walking to the bridge that connected the Kokiri Village to the rest of the world at least once a week. There the forest was deep in the grip of winter, and the cold air reminded him of what lay before him. It was here that Avaraleen found him, wrapped in the brown cloak she'd given him, several days after the winter's solace.

"Lost in thought?" Link turned to see the Sorceress standing behind him, shrouded in her black cloak.

"More on the lines of making sure I don't forget why I'm here," he answered, returning his gaze to the rope underneath his hands.

"I know what you mean. I have the same problem." She came up beside him and gazed at the ravine herself. "I've always thought that was the real danger of the Lost Woods. People come in, but they don't go out because they have forgotten the outside world."

They were silent for a time, then Avaraleen looked up at Link. "Is that offer to go to the castle still good?"

He cricked his neck turning to stare at her. "I thought you had made it clear that you weren't coming."

She gave him a half nod. "That was before I knew Zamur was still alive." A small flame burned in her eyes, making them more golden than before. "He and I have…unfinished business to deal with."

There was something in her voice that made him not want to know what she meant, but he could tell it did not bode well for Zamur. _Too bad for you,_ he thought. "So, you're coming?" he asked, wanting to make sure he heard everything correctly as well as change the subject.

"Only if Chaser can carry two." She glared at him. "I'm not walking that distance."

Link gave a short bark of laughter. "He can carry both of us; though in our case he'll be carrying one and a half."

Avaraleen shifted so she was leaning sideways against the rope with her arms crossed. "Who's the half?"

He smirked at her. "You, lightweight."

"Better than you being a deadweight." She ducked his playful punch to her shoulder, laughing, before returning her gaze to Link. "I have to ask, what exactly were your orders when you came here?"

"Why?" He asked, confused as to why she would ask that.

"Just curious."

Link sighed. "The king said that I was to asked for your aid to help protect the Master Sword and find out what your price was."

"Really?" She seemed thoughtful as she tapped a finger against the rope. "Intriguing. This could work in my favor." She gave him a sidelong glance. "What do you plan to do after all this?"

He grimaced. "Normally I would want to go home, however…" He looked out over the ravine. "Zamur is really the one responsible?" She nodded slowly. "Then my mission's not done yet. I have to find him and finish what I started, but," he sighed again, "I just don't know where to look."

"Maybe you haven't asked the right people." Link looked at her.

"Who am I supposed to ask? It took the Sheikah weeks to find Karamus, and that was when he stepped out into the open! Who in all of Hyrule is suppose to know where a sorcerer who is a master at hiding himself is at right n-" He stopped at her raised eyebrow and realization dawned on him. "You know?"

"No really, but I have an inkling or two." Avaraleen tapped her temple with two gloved fingers. "A Gerudo never forgets, and Zamur left me several hints of where he might be. That and I can also track him down through his magic." She gripped his forearm as he turned to rush back into Kokiri Village. "Link, listen to me. Zamur was after the Master Sword for a reason. What, I do not know, but we have to keep him away from it and I will need your help."

Link was taken aback. "My help? But I know absolutely nothing about magic except when to run from it."

She gave him a look. "The sword chose you. There's something about you that allows you and you alone to wield it, and I'll need to know what it is so I don't accidentally block it and not allow the next person who needs it to get it."

"Oh."

"But when we're done and if you still want to go after Zamur, I swear by Din, Nayru, and Farore that I will help you." She extended a hand. "Deal?"

"Deal." He took it and they shook. It was then that he realized she seemed ready to walk out into the main part of the forest. "Are you ready to leave now?" he asked.

"What?" She looked down at her attire. "Oh, no. I'm not planning on leaving until spring. I'm just going back to my house for a few things. I heard from one of the Skull Kids one of the Brothers was planning to attempt something that involves jumping from the branch of the highest tree and landing on the ground with only a big leaf to break his fall. It may not be true, but it's better to be prepared." She shrugged. "Kokiri."

"You want me to come with you?" Link offered, but she shook her head.

"I'll be fine; I've done it before and I'm not defenseless." She half-drew one of her blades, the mirror-bright steel gleaming in the pale light. "You better go back in. You're looking a little cold."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, mother." He watched her walk to the log exit and, on a whim, called out to her. "Hey, Avaraleen?"

She stopped and turned around "Yes?"

"Be careful out there."

"I will be." She flashed him a quick smile before flipping up the cowl of her hood and disappearing into the log.

Link watched her go with mixed emotions. Lately he had seen a side to Avaraleen that he hadn't noticed before. Sure she was brutal during their training sessions, but outside the small clearing he would find her sitting in a knot of Kokiri, laughing at some joke or mishaps that one was telling or darting among the surrounding trees chasing a Skull Kid. In the evenings when others pulled out various instruments and fill the air with music, she could be seen playing a blue ocarina with proficient skill. He had a feeling that few had ever seen a glimpse of her like this, and yet…

…And yet he could still sense that she was hiding something, as though this was mostly a façade for the Kokiri. Her smiles rarely reached her eyes and her laughter seemed a little forced at times. She would disappear for hours and no one would be able to find her. When they did, she usually had some vague excuse and quickly diverted everyone's attention with some witty remark. Other times she would be seen on a rock or stump a little ways away from the village, staring off into the distance. When spoken to, she would reply with vague expressions and riddles that made him remember the Sheikah he'd dealt with before. Her eyes always appeared more reddish than usual at these times, which caused him to silently refer to them as her "Sheikah moments." Once when she thought no one was looking, he saw her with her hand on her lower back as though feeling pain from an old injury.

He didn't ask questions on why she did what she did, but he knew that those at the castle would and, good as though she might be, there would be questions that even she couldn't avoid. He knew that something happened between her and Zamur during the three months she had "held his attention," and he had a feeling that one; it wasn't good and two; it had frightened her to the point of hiding in a place few would dare look. There was one idea floating around in his mind, but he pushed it back. He didn't want to think about it because Zamur might have been mad enough to do it.

Link stared at the log where she had disappeared. _What are you hiding from me, Avaraleen? Why are you afraid of him?_ he asked silently and, though he knew he really didn't want to know the answer, he added: _What did he do to you?_

* * *

><p>Author's note: I know this seems kinda fast, two chapters within a week of each other, but don't expect me to keep this pace. I was only able to do this because of the break from writing my teachers gave me. It actually was going to be longer, but I decided to cut it here before it turned into rambling.<p>

Moving on, please, please, please Read and Review, writers can't live on hits alone, and will someone tell Linebeck that there is no treasure here? He's completely wreaking my front yard! ****Cecilia flies in yelling **_**"HEY!"**_** over and over again. Linebeck runs off with her bouncing on his head**** Thank you, and until next time, dragoness of storm, out! See ya!


	8. The Spring Celebration

Thanks again to SamuraiSal1 for the review and to all my other readers for reading!

Winter soon began to lose its grip on the forest. The snow began to disappear and some of the hardier songbirds returned to the trees. The hum of the forest beginning to welcome spring broke the winter silence all over, with the exception of one small clearing where the primary sound was the ringing of steel on steel, with the occasional thud of steel on wood.

Link dodged the horizontal slash of Avaraleen's left blade and moved to perform an upwards slash, only to have it deflected by her other blade. He caught her next strike on his shield and pushed back, trying to knock her off balance. She fell to the ground and rolled backwards to regain her feet. Several feet now stood between them, which caused her to smile as she moved both blades to one side.

_Oh crap_. Link ducked behind his shield as a rapid blast of three thuds reverberated off the dense wood. _Farore's Wind, I hated when she does that! _He feinted right before diving to the left to come up behind her. His downwards slash was parried, and his shield blocked an incoming blow to his side. Avaraleen spun to the side, right blade aiming for the base of his ribs, but he caught it with his cross-guard and attempted to use a basic disarming technique he'd learned in basic, but she drew back before he could twist her blade away.

She attempted to retaliate with a reverse back-handed slash to the head, but he let the shield take the blow as he deflected her other blade. There was a spilt-second opening that he immediately took advantage of. He slipped his sword through the gap that appeared in between hers and had the tip stopped right at the base of her throat.

"I win," he said proudly.

She smiled at him. "I don't think so. Look again."

Link looked down and saw one of her blades pressed lightly against the base of his ribs. In a real fight, he would've been dead without knowing what hit him. "Oh."

"It's been a while since anyone's beat me, so don't be too disappointed." Avaraleen pulled her blade away as Link lowered his. "You've done well though. There's not many who can say they've gotten close."

"I still hate that triple slash thing you do," he grumbled, stepping back into the ready position while brushing his hair out his eyes; it had gotten longer over the winter.

"What, the Sandstorm Slash?" She gave him a Gerudo smile. "You're way out luck there, boy. One, it's a Gerudo technique, and two, no man has ever successfully pulled it off, not even any of our kings, so only the women learn it." She noticed his stance. "We're done for the day."

He gaped at her. "But we've only just started!" It was true; the duel had only lasted fifteen minutes and had been pure swordplay, no hand-to-hand combat or her mixing things up. That usually lasted about two hours.

"The Spring Ceremony starts at sunset, remember?"

"Yeah, and it's midmorning." He watched her closely as he sheathed his sword; she might be preparing for a surprise attack. She'd done it before.

"Well, Tamera wants to see you before the ceremony starts and you might be roped into doing some of the prep work since you're so tall. That, and while you might not take forever getting ready for this thing, I will, and I have several things to do as well." Avaraleen slipped her blades back into their sheathes. She turned to leave, but froze, her eyes closed tightly. One hand travelled halfway to her lower back as her breathing became labored.

"Avaraleen?" Link asked, stepping forward. When she didn't answer, he stepped forward and touched her shoulder. "Avaraleen!"

She immediately grabbed his arm and threw him over her hip. He felt all the breath in his body leave as he landed heavily on his back. Before he could regain his feet, one mirror-bright blade hissed out of its sheath and stopped a millimeter from his throat. Her eyes were still closed the entire time. "Avaraleen, stop! It's me!" he cried.

"Link?" Avaraleen sounded as though she was coming out of a trance. She opened her eyes and gasped at the sight of Link on the ground. "Oh sweet Nayru, Link, I'm so sorry!" Quickly sheathing her sword again, she pulled him to his feet.

Link coughed a few times to hide his shocked expression; there was a strong trace of fear in her eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She waved a hand. "I'm fine, just an old injury," she said, but her eyes and the speed of her reaction told a different story. She noticed his worried expression. "Don't worry about me. I've dealt with worse."

"That is a load of Dodongo dung, and you know it." He crossed his arms. "You've never acted this way before, even after you're done throwing me from one end of this clearing to the other." Her face hardened and she was about to reply when he cut her off. "I know it's none of my business, but there will be people at the castle who will demand to know."

"If you mean the Sheikah, I can handle them."

"Avaraleen, I'm serious, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Link, I'm fine!" She went to push past him, but whatever was afflicting her struck again. Her face twisted into a mask of pain with a gasp as her knees buckled. She would've hit the ground if Link hadn't caught her first. He gramaced when he felt her tense muscles; whatever was causing this, it was bad.

A few minutes had passed before she relaxed, her breathing easier. "That doesn't seem like nothing to me," Link growled when she looked up at him.

Avaraleen shifted her eyes downward. "Why do you care?" she whispered. "I'm just a simple sorceress who found what anyone else could if they'd seen what I have."

"Perhaps, but you are the same simple sorceress who saved my hide a few months ago." Link helped her to her feet. She still refused to look at him. "Avaraleen, what's wrong? Or is it something that your pride won't let you say?"

"It has nothing to do with my pride!" For a moment, the fire returned to her eyes as she glared at him, but then she looked away again. "You have enough to worry about without having to add me to the list."

Not knowing what drove him to do it, Link reached out with one hand and tilted her face up to his. "Then at least tell me this: is Zamur the one responsible?" he asked gently.

Avaraleen paused for a moment before nodding. "Yes, but Link," she laid her hand over his; "I will not tell you what he did. This is my burden to bear."

"I understand." He gave her a quick smile that she weakly returned. "I just wanted something to add to his extensive list of crimes."

She laughed, and the dark cloud that that invaded the clearing vanished. "That list could fill several books." They stood there for several minutes, her hand over his, before sniggering outside the clearing made both of them jump. Avaraleen giggled and stepped back from Link. "We better go before they find us here or we'll never hear the end of it."

"Right." Link shook his head slightly as he too, backed up. He had been momentarily stunned by how beautiful she looked, even in plain clothing and her hair pulled back into a simple braid that was slightly messy after their recent duel. Farore's Wind, what was he thinking! He was here on a mission that did _not_ include flirting with half-Gerudo sorceresses! What had gotten into him?

"You better get going," he heard Avaraleen say dimly. "Tamera wants to see you, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." He pulled himself back to the present. "Tamera." He took a few steps backwards. "I'll just be going now…See you tonight." Turning, he all but ran away from the clearing, regretting for once in his life not spending time with his comrades at the taverns.

_If there ever was a time that I needed the guys,_ he thought, _now would have to be the time. I don't know a thing about something like…this._

ooo000ooo

Avaraleen watched him go, a little confused. _Was it something I said?_ Link didn't strike her as one who was easily caught off-guard, not after what all he'd been through. So what had gotten into him that was making him act that way?

_Hello, you _are_ an attractive girl!_ said an inner voice that sounded very much like a Gerudo. _For all you know, he's single, and therefore available! Poor thing probably never talked to a girl before…_

_Yes, but there's that little fact that you're old enough to be his grandmother,_ snapped another, this one definitely Sheikah. _He's way out of your league, girl._

One thing Avaraleen had noticed about herself while traveling that while she was indeed older than she looked, nearly everyone she'd met had treated her as though she was only eighteen, and therefore she had developed two different outlooks on certain situations; her stern Sheikah side that acted her real age and her impulsive Gerudo side that behaved like a teenager. Both gave a whole new meaning to the phrase "arguing with myself" since they were constantly at war with each other, especially in situations like this.

_Doesn't change the fact that he's male, and males are attracted to attractive females,_ the Gerudo stated as though it was an undeniable fact, which it was according to the female thieves.

_He's a Hero for Farore's sake!_ the Sheikah cried, ever the noble one. _And you were once an Interloper! It would never work!_

_Says who? Besides you didn't use that magic of theirs, so technically you weren't one of them. And he being a Hero just makes it even better!_

_You admitted to him that you were an Interloper, so you can't deny it. Get it through your head. It. Would. Never. Work. _

_Oh, come on. He's got to be better than that cowardly son of a Leever that betrayed you and…well, you remember._

_No, no, no, no, NO! You swore that you would never go through that again! He's male, and on some basic level they're all the same!_

_They think with two things; their stomachs and something else. That is where they're all the same. Link is completely different from _him_. He offered to sleep on the floor when he was barely healed! Would _he_ do that? Absolutely not. You know that piece of Moblin trash would stay in bed for as long as possible._

_That does not change the fact that you swore to the Three Goddesses that you would never, ever, EVER let something like that happen again. EVER. That crater you caused is still out there if you need a reminder, which you might need to go back to if you keep flirting with him!_

_Which crater? There's two of them that were your fault. And you're not flirting; you're just…being friendly._

_Friendly? You call winking at him shirtless "being friendly?"_

_Compared to what Navarra and the other Gerudo would do if they saw him like that, yes._

_Good point, but that does not, by any means, change the fact that he's OFF LIMITS!_

Avaraleen sighed and pushed both voices back. She did not need to go through this, not right now. Not any time soon, now that she thought of it. It was just that Link was so…different than others she had known. He saw her as an actual person rather than a conduit for rare magic, but he was not the first to do so and there was something about him that was so familiar. She'd never seen him before, but what made her feel like she knew him? She bit her lip, trying to remember…

It was his eyes, those sharp, piercing blue eyes. Years ago, she had been travelling in a different forest when she had crossed paths with a hunting wolf. It had looked at her as though deciding whether or not she was a threat before stalking its prey. The look it had given her had the same intensity Link had when she knew he was thinking about Zamur. That was what caught her off-guard.

_Beware those who catch you off-guard, for they will find a way to slip a knife between your ribs. And if they don't, someone else will._

It was a teaching both the Gerudo and the Sheikah had driven into her. Though it had been intended for each other, the meaning applied to just about everyone. Link may not have any intention on killing her or something similar, but she knew that there would be those at the castle who would tear her apart if they ever found out exactly who she was. She would need her wits at their sharpest, without any distractions. Link, unfortunately, was a distraction.

_But a very handsome distraction,_ she admitted to herself before she could help it.

ooo000ooo

"You have got to be kidding me."

Link stood in the center of Tamera's house with his arms crossed, glaring down at the Kokiri standing before him. She had one hand on her hip while the other held a stack of field-green cloth.

"It's a Kokiri celebration, so everyone will be wearing it, and that includes you," Tamera said rather forcefully as she held out the green cloth. "The Sorceress and I have spent the entire week making this for you."

"There is no way I'm wearing that." Link replied, eyeing the green cloth apprehensively.

"What part of 'everyone will be wearing it' didn't you get? It included the Sorceress as well!"

Link gave the Kokiri a shocked expression. "She'll be what?"

"Wearing this." She held up the green cloth. "Or at least something like it. This isn't the first time she's been here for this."

_I bet, and that's probably why she didn't mention this when she told me about it,_ he said to himself. Sighing, he held out his hand. "Fine. This is only for tonight, right?"

"Actually, it's tonight and all day tomorrow, but it's not that long." Tamera deposited the stack into his hand. "Go ahead and try it on. I want to make sure it fits."

"You've definitely been around the Sorceress too much," he grumbled. He shook out the stack to find a green tunic and a sock-like hat. "Do I have to where the hat?"

"Yes you do. All the other boys do."

"Great." Link slipped on the tunic and pulled on the hat. Surprisingly, the garments did not make him feel ridiculous. In fact, they felt rather natural, as though he'd been wearing them for a long time…

"Perfect! Now you look like a Kokiri, or at least an honorary one." Tamara clapped her hands. "Now we're going to need help setting up a few things and I think everyone would appreciate it if you helped out the Brothers before they hurt themselves again." She laughed at the expression on Link's face; the Brothers could hurt themselves just by sitting on a chair thinking (he'd seen it happen; a two inch splinter had lodged itself into one's arm when he had sat down).

"What are they planning on doing now?"

"I heard something that had to deal with heights."

"I'm going." He was almost at the door when he stopped. "Hey, Tamara?"

"Yes Link?"

"Thanks."

ooo000ooo

Though Kokiri Village was untouched by winter's breath, even the Kokiri themselves could feel the coming spring. It was their favorite season, and they always welcomed it with the biggest festivities of the year: the Spring Celebration.

The Spring Celebration began on sunset of the last day of winter and went on until everyone dropped from exhaustion the next evening. It was not held in the village itself, but rather in the Great Deku Tree's clearing, which was where Link was now, trying to tie off a vine from which dangled luminous fairy blossoms while standing on the branch of a very old tree.

"Are you sure you're fine there, Link?" called out one of the Know-It-All Brothers who stood below him. "It would have been better it one of us was doing it."

"I've got it!" Link called. He managed to loop the vine tight enough for him to be able to secure it with a slip-knot before jumping lightly to the ground, something he would never have attempted from ten feet before. Sunset was only an hour away, and there was something in the air that made him feel rather energized.

"Are you trying to hurt yourself again?" Link turned and froze, his mount hanging open. He was staring again, but, again, he couldn't help it.

Avaraleen had traded her usual long black dress for one in the shorter Kokiri style. It was a slightly darker green than his new tunic, the color of the shadow of a fir tree. The shorter skirts stopped just above her knees, revealing black knee-high boots. She was also wearing bronze armguards, something he'd never seen her wear before, and a golden armlet on each bicep, but those were not the only thing new; around her neck hung an amulet in the shape of the Sheikah, the one that he had a feeling that her father had given her. The only thing that was not new was the two Sheikah blades that seemed inseparable from her. With her hair let loose from its usual braid, she looked more like an experienced traveler rather than a sorceress, which rather suited her.

"What?" he heard her asked and Link pulled himself back to the present.

"You look…different," he finally managed to blurt out. "But in a good way!" he amended hastily, which caused her to smile again.

"So do you," she said. "I honestly think you look better in green than in that army uniform, but then again, it wasn't in the best condition. Neither was its wearer, now that I think of it." She smirked at him.

"Thanks a lot, oh mighty Sorceress," Link said sarcastically. "I remain humbled by your careful observations."

"Someone has to keep your head from getting too big." Avaraleen ducked his playful punch. "Well it's true!"

"Actually, a person's head does not change in size because of their ego." They had forgotten about the Brother standing nearby. He opened his mouth to say more, but both Link and Avaraleen said, "Thank you, Know-It-All," before walking off.

The clearing was full of Kokiri talking excitedly as they waited for Milo, who was perched on a branch of the Great Deku Tree, to announce the end of winter's last day. Several were sitting on a large root, tuning their instruments. Various fairies, both guardian and roaming flittered here and there or chased one another around the surrounding trees as she shadows began to lengthen.

Link picked up his sword from where he had leaned it against a tree. "So exactly what goes on in this ceremony?" he asked, buckling on the baldric over his shoulder.

Avaraleen smiled ruefully. "It's something you have to experience for yourself in order to understand, but it is something you'll never forget." She looked up at the tiny green speck that was Milo. "Let's just say that this simple celebration is much better than the Spring Ball at the castle."

Link glanced at her, eyebrow raised at the mention of Hyrule's biggest social event. "You've been to the Spring Ball?"

"Once, but I was uninvited. I had a Sheikah following me for some reason while I was in Castle Town once, and the best way to lose someone tailing you is to disappear in the nearest crowd. At that time, the nearest crowd was at the Spring Ball." Sighing, she leaned against the nearest tree. "That place was so full of people; it was easy for me to lose the Sheikah, but all those nobles were driving me up the wall."

"Why was the Sheikah following you?" Link asked, slightly confused. "Don't they know who you are?"

"Only the oldest ones now." She looked to the northeast, towards Kakariko Village. "To the current generation, I am nothing more than a legend, if I'm ever mentioned. It's the same thing among the Gerudo, though I doubt even Navarra remembers me now. The last time we spoke, it was the day before I left the Fortress."

"I couldn't imagine anyone forgetting you."

She glared at him. "Flattery gets you nowhere, boy."

He glared back. "I was being honest."

They were silent for a moment, and then she smiled at him. "Stay that way," she said. "You have no idea what honesty means to some people."

"And I'll take it you're one of those people who love honesty?" He flashed her a grin of his own.

"You have no id-"

"SUNSET! WINTER IS OVER! SPRING IS HERE!" Milo's shout was greeted by cheers and shouts as the Kokiri jumped lightly from branch to branch all the way to the ground. The other Kokiri began to dance as the group sitting on the root struck up a lively song.

Avaraleen's eyes lit up as the music reached them. "I know this song!" she cried. "Come on!" and she grabbed Link's hand to pull him to the two lines that were forming in front of the Great Deku Tree.

Link pulled away. "I can't dance," he admitted shamefully. His only chance to learn was that harvest festival that he had conveniently avoided in Kakariko Village when he was stationed there. He honestly thought that he couldn't dance to save his life.

"It's easy, trust me." She literally dragged him into the dance line. "Just do what everyone else does and you'll catch on real quick."

"But-" was all Link was able to get out before everyone began to move and he either had to follow their actions or risk getting run over. After a few missteps, he found the rhythm and was soon able to keep up as the two lines twisted, turned and intertwined with each other. Above the dances, the fairies bobbed in their own way, adding a multitude of colors to the darkened clearing. Underneath the music, he thought he heard wood creaking, as though the Great Deku Tree was moving its limbs in time with the music. Across from him, Avaraleen appeared to be enjoying herself as she laughed and spun in time with the music. She seemed more like a teenage girl at her first public dance than anything else.

The song ended with everyone back into the positions from which they had started from and a little breathless. The musicians allowed a few minutes rest before striking up another, this one with a slightly slower beat than the last one, but still lively all the same. Link tried to duck out of the dance line, but this time it was Tamera who dragged him back while Avaraleen paired off with one of the Know-It-All Brothers.

Link lost all track of time as dance after dance was created. He soon overcame his fear of dancing as what seemed to be every female Kokiri pulled him into each one that formed. Every hour or so, the musicians would take a longer break, and someone would perform their own solo that apparently they had worked on all year just this celebration. As he did not play an instrument, Link was not invited to perform, but that didn't stop him from listening to the various solos that ranged from boleros to minutes to requiems on a wide variety of instruments. His personal favorite was actually a duet between Milo with a violin and a female Kokiri named Maple with a harp.

When the sun began to peek over the horizon, everyone cheered again as the first day of spring slowly broke free. It was at this time that Avaraleen was called to play and, with much cheering that made Link think she was a favorite, she obliged and pulled out her blue ocarina. Setting it to her lips, she proceeded to play a song that he never heard before, but it reminded him of all the places he'd been throughout Hyrule. It seemed to last forever, but when it did end, he groaned along with everyone else as she bowed towards her captive audience and took a place in the dance line that was forming. Link went to claim the place in front of her, but Milo had beaten him to it, so he backtracked to dance with Maple.

Before the sun rose, exhaustion had made everyone slow, but with the arrival of the sun came adrenaline and Avaraleen's song seemed to have revitalized everyone, especially the fairies. They chased one another all around the clearing, creating whirs of light that were dizzying to follow. Beneath them, Kokiri laughed as they spun around and around to the music, but Link hung back. The little voice that had been silent for quite some time was now telling him that something wasn't right.

After about an hour, Avaraleen noticed Link standing off to the side. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Link shook his head. "Something doesn't feel right," he said softly. "And the last time I felt this way was when I heard the rumor of where Karamus was."

She nodded slowly. "I thought I had been sensing something," she murmured. "Whatever it is, it's strong, it's made of black magic-" A scream came from across the clearing. "And it's here."

Both of them sprinted to the source of the screaming and found the Kokiri running from a small army of purple, rather stupid-looking goblin-like creatures following a thing that appeared to be made of three appendages and a giant yellow eye. "It's a Gohma Queen!" someone cried as she climbed the Great Deku Tree along with everyone else.

Link looked at Avaraleen as they simultaneously drew their swords. "I'll take the minions if you'll take the big one," she offered, her voice as light and cheery as though they were in a market.

Link glanced at the creatures. "You sure on that?" he asked. "There's quite a few of them."

She flashed him her hunter's smile. "One thing you can always say about Bobokins: they are as stupid as they look." She pointed at the Gohma Queen. "You ready?"

He nodded. "Let's do this." He gave her a moment's head start before following.

It was a good thing he did; as Avaraleen moved towards the Bobokins, she feinted at the Gohma Queen, drawing its attention long enough for Link to reach it and slash at the one appendage it stood on, hoping to knock it to the ground. Unfortunately, the limb was covered in a thick carapace that made his sword bounce off. He jumped back to avoid one of the "arms" as it came slashing his way in retaliation.

_OK, plan A didn't work,_ he told himself. _So plan B is going to be the… _He jumped back from another swipe and almost found himself almost literally eye-to-eye with the monster. _Such a huge eye, it makes me want to poke it out. _Waiting for another missed swipe to pass him, Link drew his sword back and drove it as hard as he could into the monster's eye. He was rewarded by a piercing scream as the Gohma Queen pulled itself off the sword and attempted to scuttle to the other side of the clearing.

_Oh no, you don't._ Link tore after it, determined to reach it before it caused any damage. The Gohma Queen looked as though it was trying to get to the Great Deku Tree as it left a trail of disgusting white blobs in its wake. The blobs pulsed and burst open as he past them, revealing smaller versions of the Gohma Queen. They were easy to dispatch, one sword swipe apiece, but Link was annoyed nevertheless_. Oh, great; first you have to deal with a weird-looking thing, then you gotta deal with its offspring. What's next?_

He managed to get in between the Gohma Queen and the Great Deku Tree, but the thing turned and scuttled a new direction, which caused Link to swear violently. He had been going without sleep for about thirty-six hours, he was tired, fighting giant monsters was _not_ a part of the job description, and that thing was just too fast for him to catch up with it! He had to slow it down somehow, but all he had was his sword, shield, and…Deku nuts!

Mentally kicking himself, Link reached into his pocket and palmed one of the small brown nuts before running at the creature, yelling for all he was worth with a half-formed plan in his mind. Was it stupid? Yes. Could it have killed him? Yes. Did it work? Yes it did, thank Farore.

The Gohma Queen turned to look at him and that was when he threw the Deku nut right at its eye. It was a perfect throw; the small nut landed squarely into the center of the creature's eye and exploded, stunning it. The single leg collapsed, which allowed him to stab the eye for a second time before the Gohma Queen ran off again.

Third time's the charm. Link ran after it again, pelting it with Deku nuts every time he saw the eye, but the creature had gotten smart. It ducked at anything coming close to its eye. Unfortunately for it, it wasn't paying attention to where it was going and ran straight into a tree. The Gohma Queen let out a shriek of pain before Link lobbed his last Deku nut right into its eye again and stabbed it for what he prayed was the last time.

His prayers were answered; the Gohma Queen screamed once more before vanishing in a large amount of black smoke. Link stood there a moment, panting, before metallic thuds reminded him of Avaraleen. He turned and watched her take down the last two Bobokins by leaping up, stabbing one through the back and, using her blade as a pivoting point, swinging her body around to a position to wrap her legs around the throat of the other and snap its neck with one hard twist. Both creatures vanished with soft explosions and puffs of black smoke as she landed lightly between them.

"You kill that thing yet?" she called, holding her blades at the ready.

"It's dead!" he shouted back, sheathing his sword.

"Good!" She sheathed her blades and pushed back a lock of hair that had fallen over her face. "I don't like bugs." Walking over, she looked him up and down. "I see your track record's improved. Not a single scratch. But did you really think running at a monster while screaming bloody murder would work?"

He shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?" With a grunt, he stretched his arms out behind him, feeling exhaustion weighing down his limbs. "I'll take it that didn't happen last year."

"Not even close. The only excitement was when Linder was dancing with Elma and took a wrong step and made the entire line fell down."

"Are they all gone now?" Both of them looked up to see all the Kokiri peering down at them from the branches of the Great Deku Tree with frightened expressions.

Avaraleen glanced at Link. "I'm not sensing anything. You?" Link shook his head; the little voice had gone silent now.

_**The evil hath left this grove.**_ Everyone turned to the Great Deku Tree, who had been usually silent during the entire celebration. _**Forgive me, for I was attempting to stay this evil from entering the boundaries, but the presence of the Gohma Queen broke my defensives.**_

"What is a Gohma?" Link asked.

Avaraleen sat on the ground and looked up at him. "It's a creature that feeds on the wood of trees saturated with magic. The stronger the magic, the more they love it. A Gohma Queen is a female capable of laying eggs, and is one of the few creatures that pose a threat to him." She gestured at the Great Deku Tree. "If it had gotten into him, he might've died."

"Oh." He just thought he'd killed a gigantic creature, not save the guardian of the Lost Woods. The whole ordeal sounded more heroic that it felt. He hid a yawn behind one hand. This was too much for his tired mind to process. He felt his legs fold up underneath him so he was sitting next to Avaraleen, who was already beginning nodding off.

_**Rest, Hero, Sorceress,**_ boomed the Great Deku Tree as the Kokiri began to climb off his branches. _**The evil is gone from here, and thou art weary. Rest, for Hyrule will soon need ye both.**_

The sun shining in his eyes woke Link up the next morning, but he didn't want to move. He was warm, he wasn't in any kind of pain, and there was a slight, comforting smell of cinnamon in the air. A tickling sensation at the end of his nose finally made him open his eyes and he found himself looking at several strands of coppery hair floating in the slight breeze. Lifting his head up an inch, he was glad he was the first one awake.

Not only was Avaraleen curled up next to him with her back pressed lightly into his chest, but his right arm was draped over her waist. _Oh crap, I am so dead._ Any attempt to move his arm away caused her to stir, so he deterred the movement with a feeling of dread. She was still asleep, but it would only be a matter of time before she woke up, and when she did, he'd be lucky to be alive. However, it was hard to imagine her being able to kill anything at that moment. She looked so peaceful, so innocent, as the pale morning light caressed her face.

A few minutes later, all thoughts of her being innocent went out of his mind when Avaraleen opened her eyes. Link actually held his breath as he watched her eyes notice his hand in front of her and follow the arm draped over her waist to the person it was attached to. When her slightly confused, red-gold eyes met his apologetic blue ones, he offered her a weak smile as he braced himself for the pain of the offending arm being ripped off. He did _not_ expect the gasp of surprise as two small hands pushed against his chest and she went rolling a few feet away with a cry of "Oh, sweet Nayru! What did I do?"

Link pushed himself to his knees. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." For what, he wasn't sure, but it seemed better than saying nothing. Maybe it was because some part of him thought that she looked so cute with her hand over her mouth and her face so scarlet.

Avaraleen refused to look at him. "Oh, what have I done?" she whispered, apparently talking to herself as she shook her head. "Oh, Din, Nayru, and Farore, what have I done? This wasn't supposed to happen. This was _not _supposed to happen!" She glanced over at Link before burying her face into her hands. He caught snatches of either the Gerudo or the Sheikah language before she reemerged, seemingly under control, but her face was still a little red.

"Can we make an agreement to never mention this to anyone?" she asked, a little too polite. "Ever?"

Link quickly nodded; the situation was awkward, and even he didn't want to think about it, not to mention it sounded better than getting his arm ripped off. "Agree." They shook hands before pulling each other to their feet.

Avaraleen checked the position of the sun. "We better get moving if we want to reach the castle by nightfall." Noticing Link expression, she shrugged. "It's no use putting it off any longer. We better go now before something like the Gohma Queen happens again somewhere else."

Nodding again, Link gestured at the exit out of the Great Deku Tree's clearing. "Be ready to go in an hour?"

She shook her head. "Thirty minutes. We cannot afford any more delays." Turning, she bowed towards the Great Deku Tree. "Once again, I thank you for your hospitality," she said clearly.

Link was just copying her movements when the tree spoke_**. Nay, it is I who thank thee, Hero, Sorceress. Thou hast saved my children from a terrible evil, and thou hast done that with thy own free will.**_ The Great Deku Tree sighed. _**I cannot give thee much, but perhaps these can aid thee on thy journey.**_

The upper branches shook until two small brown objects fell before them. Link picked one up to see that it was a pouch not unlike the one he now had on his belt.

_**As simple as these might be, these pouches shall hold anything ye place within them. Ye merely must think of the object with thy hand inside for ye to acquire it once more.**_ The tree settled once more. _**But now the hour grows late, and the time of thy departure is nigh. Leave quickly, with the blessing of the Goddesses.**_ His voice faded once more with his final words.

Avaraleen picked up the second pouch with a whistle. "Do you know how rare these things are?"

"Rare enough that I don't want to tell anyone about it?" Link offered, slipping his onto his belt.

She nodded as she did the same before looking around. "We better get going. I'll meet you at the bridge in half an hour." With a quick glance at him that caused her to blush again, she hastily darted out of the clearing.

Link watched her go, a little confused. What had gotten into her? Sure the way they had woke up had been awkward, but he was handling it well, he hoped. Maybe he should tell her that she looked so cute when she blushed…_Farore's Wind, what am I thinking? She'd kill me if I told her that!_ He shook his head as he stared at where she had gone. Though she may not know it, Avaraleen was causing all kinds of trouble for him. He hoped that the Sheikah entrance he was supposed to use was a well-hidden secret. _If I'm seen with her at the castle, I'll never here the end of it._

ooo000ooo

A couple hours later, Link stood with a saddled Chaser at the edge of the Lost Woods, looking out over Hyrule Field. He still wore the green tunic underneath his brown cloak (early spring was still a little cold), but he had given the wooden shield he'd made to one of the Kokiri who'd admired it. As good as that shield had been, he still preferred the metal one he'd used before and had left at the castle, though he hoped he wouldn't need it during the journey back.

Standing slightly behind him, Avaraleen hesitated in the shadow of one the larger trees, once more in her full Sorceress attire of black dress, gloves, cloak and mask. With the cowl down, he could see her mouth pressed down in a thin line. He couldn't blame her; from what he could tell, the forest had become a safe haven for her for quite some time, and now she was leaving it to eventually confront the people who made her go there in the first place.

Finally, she took a breath. "Let's hurry up and get there before nightfall," she said, flipping her cowl up so it shadowed her face.

Link nodded and mounted Chaser first before moving his foot out of the stirrup and extending a hand towards her. Avaraleen took it and mounted in a way so that she was sitting sideways behind him with one arm wrapped around his waist. The other he knew without looking was ready to draw one of her blades at a moment's notice.

Focusing on the task at hand, and _not_ on the arm around his waist, Link clicked his tongue while nudging the stallion with his heels. "Come on, boy," he said softly. "We've got a job to do."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Ever had a chapter that you just had to write or you would just go insane? Yeah, that was this one. I just could not stay away from it, much to all of your delights. So Link is now in the trademark green tunic, has his magical pouch that can hold anything, and he's now on his way to the castle with a rather unwilling Sorceress in tow. And yes, I soooo planned that scene in the Great Deku Tree's clearing. I couldn't resist!<p>

On a more serious note, guys, please review! I can tell by the hits that you all love it (I hope), but I would really appreciate some feedback, please. It doesn't have to be just plain criticism, I am open for ideas and suggestions 'cause it they're good, I'll use them! If you are a regular reviewer, and you know who you are, this plea does not apply to you as you are not the ones to who this is directed to.

So everyone, please review and-****sees Niko walk in**** Niko, get out of here! You're not even in this fic! **** Niko holds up pictures**** No, I don't want to listen to one of your stories. Get out now or, so help me, I will throw you into a room full of dancing Gorons, and don't think I won't! ****Niko runs out, sighs**** Pirates. Well, until next time, dragoness of storm, out! See ya!


	9. Audience Interruptus

Thanks to SamuraiSal1, hlf1495, radar1942, Torey Matthews, Time's Quill, Espeonage Espeon, and Bread-Munching Ducks for reviewing/favoriting/alerting/whatever-else-they-might-have-done-that-my-email-didn't-tell-me-that-hopefully-includes-telling-other-people-about-it-and-if-you-want-your-name-mentioned-here-please-please-please-leave-a-review-or-something-on-the-lines-of-that.

* * *

><p><em>All of time seemed to have frozen.<em>

_Before him rose a dark shade, silhouetted by a bright light behind it. In one hand it held a woman in a white dress by her throat while the other held a familiar sword._

_The woman kicked a few times before she went limp. The shade released its grip, sending her into a motionless pile at its feet as it laughed at him. "Some Hero you are to allow others to die for you," it said in a snake's whisper._

_No! Not another! Please don't let her be dead!_

"_And soon you shall join them!"_

_He lay on the ground, weaponless, as the shade began to walk slowly toward him. Sharp pain preventing him from moving away as it finally stood over him and raised the sword, but he was able to push himself upright. He refused to look away from it, even though that the shade was clear that it was about to stab him through the heart, even with the movement out of the corner of his eye._

_Just as the sword began to descend, a blur of color flashed by with. Something pushed him back and there was a sharp intake of breath as a sharp object pieced his chest._

_He looked down at the length of bloody steel before him and the blood now staining his tunic and could only think one thing:_

That's not mine.

_And then he saw the body._

"Dude, come on, please."

"No, Rick, I'm not going to do it."

"Aw, is the great Hero of Hyrule afraid of one little Sorceress?"

"No, I just have a feeling that she might throw you off the tower if you try, and that'll be her being nice."

"Really? What's her being mean?"

"She carries two short swords with her at all times. Use your imagination."

Link sat eating lunch in the guards mess with several of the guardsmen he'd met during his first time at the castle. He'd been back for at least three days now, and it seemed that nearly every single one of the guards under thirty were begging him to introduce them to Avaraleen. Sure they had only caught glimpses of her (with her mask on) as she walked through the halls, but now half of the single guardsmen (and a few who were not) were openly trying to get her attention and the other half was attempting to get Link to do it for them, who was refusing adamantly.

"Link, please just one-" Rick, one of the more bolder ones who Avaraleen had ignored several times, began, but Link cut him off.

"No. If she's ignoring you, that's your problem." Link returned his attention to his rather simple meal of roasted beef in between two slices of bread. "I'm staying out of it."

"And why is that?" demanded Garret, who was sitting next to Rick.

Link glared at him. "You don't have to deal with her when she's mad. She's a redhead, remember?"

"Well, I do like redheads," remarked Garret, who was one himself. "And I do enjoy a challenge."

"Then I hope you enjoy losing." All three of them jumped and turned to see Avaraleen, masked and gloved, standing with one hand on her hip right behind Link. "My last relationship didn't end well."

Never one to be intimidated, Rick leaned forward with what he considered his smoothest face and said, "Perhaps I could make you forget that unpleasant ordeal?"

Link felt the overwhelming urge to smack his face with his palm. Leave it Rick to make a fool out of himself. Although he was a heavy favorite among the ladies, every now and then there would be one who could resist his charm, and, unfortunately for Rick, Avaraleen was one of them.

Placing both hands on the table, she leaned forward so she was staring him directly in the face and gave him a mild version of her hunter's smile. "Perhaps you may," she said, her voice dripping with honey as her eyes glared daggers through her mask, "but that would require you to get at the top of a list that I highly suggest for you to stay off of." She nodded towards Link. "He can tell you all about that list."

At the questioning looks throw his way, Link shrugged and said, "You really want to stay off the list." He had no idea what (or even which one; she had several) the list was, but, knowing her, it was mostly likely one that Zamur was at the top of.

Avaraleen nodded. "So the answer's no, to _all _of you, and you better tell the rest of your comrades to back off before I do something unpleasant in the barracks." She pushed herself back up. "And don't think that I won't." She made as though to leave, but then stopped and laid a hand on Link's shoulder. "Link, when you're done here, I need to peak with you privately," she whispered before leaving the mess.

Looking up at his friends, Link glared at their smirks. "Not a word," he growled. "It's not what you think."

Garret and Rick glanced at each other before coursing, "Yeah, right."

"Guys, I'm serious!" Link snapped.

"And so are we," retorted Garret. "When a girl says she needs to talk to you privately, that usually means something."

Link snorted as he rose from the table. "Not with her. She's definitely not your average girl."

"What makes her different from any other?" Rick asked.

"One, she's a sorceress, two; she's deadly with her swords, and three; how many girls do you know speak every language in Hyrule fluently?" He smirked at their stunned looks. "Didn't think so," he called as he left the mess. As guardsmen, Garret and Rick knew a handful of words and phrases in every language, but only enough to get the gist of what was being said, so it was natural for them to feel a little jealous for anyone to be able to do what they couldn't, and it just added insult to injury when it was a girl.

The corridors he followed were eerily quiet, but no one had used this part of the castle for years, except for storage, so no one would ever suspect that there was a guest of any significant, at least to the Sheikah, in that part of the castle. This general assumption made the northwest tower the perfect place to have a Sorceress who demanded to remain hidden stay. The only problem was, the Sheikah in charge of the agents at Hyrule Castle, though she agreed with Avaraleen's request to remain hidden, had then insisted that one of the castle agents stay with her "for safety concerns," as she had put it. This lead to Avaraleen to reply, with some various and rather colorful language, that she would not tolerate a Sheikah tailing her at anytime. The argument that followed was extremely long and left everyone with a headache, but eventually a compromise was reached: Link would stay in the same suite as Avaraleen as long as there was a securely locked door between them. He wasn't entirely happy about the arrangements, but he knew that at least she wouldn't take his head off anytime soon.

Although the Sheikah were known for being the most secretive race in all of Hyrule, the amount of people who knew about Avaraleen was a little unsettling: this was supposed to a secretive mission after all. At least six of the Sheikah agents at the castle knew about her and why she was here, and, according to Avaraleen, that was six too many. Even though she was half-Sheikah, she gave the strong impression that she didn't trust any of them.

About three-fourths up the northwest tower, Link stopped at a door that looked like it had been used for sword practice and knocked three times. "It's me," he called.

"Good." The door creaked open of its own accord, revealing Avaraleen, mask held loosely in one hand, sprawled sideways on a couch set in the middle of the living space that separated the two rooms. "I don't want to deal with anymore of the Sheikah for the next week."

"Is that what you wanted to talk about?" Link crossed the threshold and closed the door behind him before flopping into a nearby chair.

"They're only a third of the problem, but I can deal with them." Pushing herself upright, she pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to him. "I caught one of the younger males snooping in my room. Delivering that was his excuse to be in there, and it was enough for him to get away with a light warning."

"What's light?" Link asked as he unfolded the paper.

"A few broken fingers on one hand and a swift kick out the door." Avaraleen leaned back with a sigh. "I don't think he'll volunteer for something like that again."

Rolling his eyes, Link looked down at the paper to see it covered in ornate writing:

_The council will meet in seven days in the same location as the previous occasion. It will be at this time that what you have found will be returned to you, Link, for it has been determined that it will be safer in your possession than where it is now. The council will begin at eight, precisely, so do not be late, and both of you have been invited to the Spring Ball._

There was no mistake of who it was from. Blinking once, Link quickly reread the note before saying the first thing that came to his mind: "He did not."

"He did, and that's the rest of the problem." Avaraleen swung her legs to the floor and stood, looking at a blank section of wall. "I would rather be on the run from the Sheikah again than deal with that pit of vipers people call a court. Once was bad enough, and I wasn't even supposed to be there."

Link groaned as he buried his head in his hands. "Why doesn't he get the fact that I don't want to be in the center of attention!" he moaned, his voice muffled. "I just want to be left alone!" He heard footsteps approached and felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You're a Hero, which means you'll be the center of attention no matter where you go," Avaraleen said gently, "and from what I'm hearing, the Terminan ambassador will be arriving around that time, so the king will want to show off the reason why Termina should keep its alliance with Hyrule."

Raising his head, Link looked up at her. "Where did you hear that?"

Avaraleen smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Those who work in a castle often know more than they're supposed to and are a surprisingly accurate source of information. I'm rather shocked that you didn't know that."

"Oh." Link felt a little sheepish at the obvious answer. He himself had use the information from the never-ending source of gossip that ran through the corridors at all times, mostly to figure out where certain nobles were so he could avoid them. "So I'm guessing that there's no way we're getting out of this."

"You're not, but I will find a way even if it kills me." Avaraleen smirked at him as she walked over to the window. "I officially don't exist."

"I don't think so." It was now Link's turn to smirk as he stood and crossed his arms.

This drew Avaraleen's attention. She turned to look at him and cocked a hip. "And why do you think that?"

"Besides the six Sheikah, both the _entire_ castle staff and the _all_ the guardsmen know about you." Link raised an eyebrow at her expression. "Especially the guardsmen considering they're all rather anxious to meet you. Unless you forgot the conversation earlier."

"Oh crap." She ran her fingers through her hair. "That does changes thing a bit." Pacing, she bit her bottom lip, a sign of her thinking through several possibilities. Once she started muttering under her breath, he took it as a good sign, but then his hopes fell when she sighed. "There's no way we can get out of this."

"Are you sure?" he asked, trying and failing to keep a note of pleading out of his voice.

"Unless you really want to spend time with some of Hyrule's most wanted, we're going, but let's try talking the king out of it at the council before we make any final assumptions." She cracked her neck and sighed. "I really don't want to deal with the council."

"If it makes you feel better, neither do I." Link stretched out his arms behind his back. "And you can thank Navarra for that."

Avaraleen shrugged. "She does have that effect on people." She pointed at the paper he still held. "You do know where this meeting place is, right?" She smiled at his "nah, duh" expression. "Just asking, because I don't want to be late to this thing if we want to get out of something else."

ooo000ooo

"I thought you said you knew where this thing was at!" Avaraleen yelled at him as they ran through yet another corridor.

"So did I!" Link yelled back as he swung himself around a corner. "It's not my fault that this castle looks the same on the inside!" He looked up and finally saw the tapestry he was looking for. It depicted all the races of Hyrule, but what few people knew was that there was a secret passageway that led to the council chamber. The only problem was that the narrow corridor that it was located on was one of the major passageways to the kitchens, which was now packed with servants carrying breakfast for the nobles who were up at the time. And it was three minutes to eight.

Link swore. They were going to be late.

"Let me guess, we got to go through the crowd?" Avaraleen asked. At his nod, she grinned. "Cover your ears."

He did so, and she put two fingers in her mouth and let out an ear-splitting whistle. Everyone in the corridor turned to find the source of the sound. "Make a hole now!" she shouted.

The crowd parted and Link darted through the hole towards the tapestry, Avaraleen hot on his heels. Thankfully the wall behind the tapestry was an illusion, so they didn't have to slow down until they reached the underground chamber at the bottom of the stairs.

"Made it," he panted, smirking at her. "And we're not late."

"Oh, shut up."

"If we may begin?" Both of them looked up to see the king sitting at the head of the table where the others sat. It was exactly the same way it was in the fall.

Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw Avaraleen immediately stiffen as she noticed those in attendance. _Uh-oh, this isn't good._ Her posture was similar to that of someone cornered and he could see her eyes move swiftly from one person to the next, sizing up everyone in the room. From he could tell, she considered Ivan and the king as potential threats, with Navarra not far behind, as she gave each of them a look a half-second longer than what she gave everyone else before she sat down next to Azure.

Daphne waited for Link to sit down next to her before he began. "When last we met, we had gathered to protect the Master Sword, but over the winter, the Sheikah came across dire news. Hyrule has not yet won free of the grip of the Interlopers for one of their leaders remain at large. He is known as Zamur, the brother of Karamus, and he is as great, if even greater, a sorcerer as the one before him."

Everyone in the chamber gasped and looked at Ivan, who nodded gravely before turning his attention to Link, who had merely shrugged at the mention of the sorcerer. "Does this not concern you, Hero?" the Sheikah asked.

Aware of everyone looking at him, Link glanced at Avaraleen, who gave him a near-invisible nod. "I learned about Zamur over the winter as well." He gestured towards Avaraleen. "She told me."

Either not noticing the shift of everyone's attention to her or just not caring, Avaraleen folded her hands on the table before her and shrugged. "Zamur may be one of the slyest sorcerers out there, but even he methods that can be tracked, if one knows where to look."

"You say that as if you know him," Navarra pointed out.

Avaraleen glanced at her half-sister. "Well enough to know that he is a traitor and a murderer of the worst kind. He's not lying when he says that he's the brother of Karamus, and he just as powerful as him, and far more devious. Even I wasn't sure he was still alive until Link told me that the sorcerer he killed was Karamus. Certain things started to make sense then." She looked over at Ivan. "What in Nayru's name made you think that only Karamus was the threat? I thought that all the Sheikah knew about both of them since all of you were triple-checking every bit of information you could find about the Interlopers."

Ivan looked stunned. "How did you know about th-?"

"Crow." Avaraleen leaned back in her chair. "Out of all people, I thought you would've known that. Oh, no wait, the Sheikah are above talking to mere criminals, although that will be the day when you finally find something to officially charge Crow with."

"Who, or what, is this Crow?" the king asked sternly.

"Crow is essentially the root of the thieves' grapevine, as he has the most accurate information, as is evident by his high prices," Navarra answered. "For the right price, anyone can find information on anything."

"It's worth it though," Avaraleen added. "But Crow is not our main concern right now, and neither is Zamur. We can deal with him later. Now where is this all important sword that you dragged me out of the Lost Woods to somehow protect?"

Link sat up straighter at this. Although it cost him a lot to get it, he still felt that the Master Sword was his sword, and he wanted it back. Rauru nodded and placed the sheathed sword on the center of the table. Link reached forward to grab it, but the second his hand touched it, the sword let off a bright flash, half-blinding everyone in the room. A comforting tingling sensation ran up his arm as he pulled it towards him, and he had this feeling that the sword had…missed him? _A sword misses me? Like that's not weird._

Beside him, Avaraleen blinked several times to clear her sight. "Ok, that was new." She pulled off her right glove and went to touch the sword, but hesitated and looked over at Link. "May I?"

Link nodded and pushed the sword towards her a little. Avaraleen held her hand palm down an inch above the sword and passed it up and down its length twice. Her hand stopped right above the cross-guard and remained still for a moment before she touched the yellow gem set there with her middle finger.

Immediately the gem began to flash with a dark yellow light, as though the sword was warning her to stay away. It didn't stop until she removed her finger from the gem. "Oh, hush, that's not me," he heard her mutter darkly as she withdrew her hand. She slipped her glove back on as she looked up at the council. "Well, we can stop worrying about Zamur getting this because the legends were right for once: evil can't touch it."

"IS that what the light was all about?" Azure asked, once more attempting to single-handedly drain the water pitcher before him.

"Not the first flash. I have no idea what that one was about." Avaraleen chewed on her lower lip while tapping the table with a finger. "It might have been the sword reaffirming who its master is, I really don't know. The one I caused was the power legend says it has, the power to repel evil."

"The sword thinks you're evil?" Link asked, a little worried as he pulled the sword towards himself. Was there something she hadn't told him about herself?

She shook her head. "It's not really me, there's just something _about_ me it doesn't like, hence why it only flashed instead of zapping me or something on the lines of that."

"What doesn't it like about you?" Tamera asked.

"I still have traces of my last encounter with Zamur with me. That was what the sword sensed and was giving the warning about." The look she shot towards Link told him the traces included whatever was affecting her.

"Wait, wait, wait." The king raised his hands in a halting motion. "Are you saying that the sword can _think _for itself?"

"The sword, no. It's just a dead piece of metal." Avaraleen paused for a moment as she leaned sideways on the table. "But the spirit residing in it can, and she, at least I think it's a she, is the one who doesn't like Zamur."

The silence that permeated the room after her words was so thick; Link thought he could cut it with a knife. Even Avaraleen looked shocked that there was something sentient residing within the sheathed sword on the table. Link looked down at the Master Sword and felt a huge urge to slam his palm into his face. So it wasn't just an ordinary blade with a fancy spell cast over it, but one with a spirit. Great, even more things he didn't understand. Could he go back to fighting monsters bigger than himself? That, at least, was something he could understand: either kill the thing or it was going to kill him. Throw magic or anything else, like spirits, into the mix, and the whole thing became confusing.

Rauru was the first to recover. "So there is a spirit within the sword that decides the wielder of the sword?" he asked slowly, sounding as though he just wanted to get the facts straight.

Avaraleen nodded. "From what I can tell, that is the case up to a point. The spirit knows whether or not the person using the sword is good or evil and if there's evil within the area, but she cannot tell the difference between a good person with the right intentions doing what _we_ would call good or evil with the sword. I cannot protect the sword from evil people as it does that on its own, but what I _might_ be able to do is make sure only the right person finds the sword at the right time."

"You are sure about that?" Ivan asked. "Are you sure that thieves cannot get it, or-"

"Hey! Easy on the thieves talk there, Sheikah!" Navarra snapped, glaring at him from across the table. "Just because it's valuable doesn't me that I want to steal it! Do you want to kill everyone who gets on your nerves, assassin?"

Ivan opened his mouth to retort back when Avaraleen slammed her hand on the table. "Enough, both of you!" she growled. "For the love of Nayru, in over fifty years the two of you haven't change at all! For once in your lives, will you both stop arguing for as long as you have to work together on this? Or is that too much to ask, Ivan, Navarra?" She glared at each of them in turn as she rose from her seat. "This is not about your ego, your pride, your traditions, or where your people live, and this goes for you as well, Daren, Azure." She turned on them as well. "I've heard what you've said when you think no one is around, and all of it is irrelevant when you consider what will happen if all of you keep bickering among yourselves over what is 'right and proper' according to what _you_ think is right!"

Her voice darkened as she placed both hands on the table and leaned forward. "How do you think the Interlopers first began? Karamus and Zamur preyed on those who were despised because they thought differently from everyone else. Innocent people die because all of you refuse to agree on the simplest things. Yes, you have your differences, but Hyrule needs _all_ of you, or it would not be the land it is today! Hyrule needs the mountains, the forest, the rivers, the desert, the fields, and the caverns." She looked over at Rauru. "You've travelled in your day. Tell me: what other land is like Hyrule?" Waiting a moment, she nodded at his silence. "I thought so. Hyrule is unique in a way like no other land, and it is all because of the people who live here, but if you can't agree on just working together, then all of you are better off going home, because you're of no use here." With a sigh, she sat back down and leaned her head on her hand, refusing to look at anyone.

Never in his life had Link heard someone make a speech that made an entire roomful of adults feel like naughty children caught fighting over a toy, but Avaraleen had driven home a point that all of them had refused to admit. The only one not affected was Tamera, for even Daphne seemed to be chastised, which seemed odd for the king. What made the whole thing so profound was that it appeared to be a young girl giving the tirade to adults a few decades older than her, a fact that the king picked up on several moments later.

"You seemed so wise for one so young," he said.

"I've travelled a lot and seen much." Avaraleen kept her gaze on the table as she gave the terse reply.

"Just how old are you?" Rauru asked.

Avaraleen looked up at him. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me." The king's advisor seemed a little too polite as he leaned forward.

Pausing for a moment, she finally relented. "Fifty-seven."

"Fifty-seven?" Rauru's dubious look was mirrored on everyone's face, even Link's. "How can you be fifty-?"

The rest of the question was lost as the door burst open, revealing a Sheikah Link recognized as the one in charge of the castle. "Forgive me, your Majesty," she said, "but the Terminan ambassador has arrived and is requesting an immediate audience."

"Is he in the castle now?" Daphne asked, rising from the table.

"We currently have him delayed in the courtyard, but we cannot hold him there for long." The Sheikah panted as though she had run from the other side of the castle. "You will have to hurry, your Majesty."

"Do the rest of us need to be there?" Ivan asked, rising along with everyone else.

The Sheikah glanced at her superior. "I would highly suggest that at least the Hero is present. The ambassador has brought someone he calls the champion of Termina."

"Then we better get moving." Everyone glanced at Avaraleen as she moved towards the door. "I've never been to Termina, but their reputation says that they can be really annoyed if you keep them waiting."

Link grabbed the Master Sword off the table and ran out the door after the Sheikah, the rest of the council hot on his heels. Once out in the hallway, the Sheikah led them through a series of hidden passageways that seemed to be a combination of the secret Sheikah ways and the servants' paths since several times they had to dodge the castle staff in the middle of their various duties. Normally, it took about a good thirty minutes to reach the throne room from the kitchens, but with the shorter route and by sprinting the entire way, they were able to make there in less than ten minutes.

Emerging from a door hidden behind the throne, Link slowed to a stop and leaned forward with his hands on his knees. "Did we lose the others?" he panted, seeing only the Sheikah, Avaraleen, and himself there.

"It would be considered improper for the king to run," the Sheikah replied. "Even in times of crisis."

"In other words, he's not as young as he used to be." Avaraleen brushed a streak of dust off her dress. "And neither are the others."

The door opened again, this time admitting the rest of the council. All looked slightly more out of breath and a little jealous of the three who were already there. Daphne walked around to the front of the throne and sat down as Ivan informed the Sheikah to bring in the ambassador. The audience chamber was nearly full with the nobles who were in residence at the time. Link could feel everyone sneaking glances at him as he emerged from behind the throne to stand at a spot a little ways away from the king's right hand. Avaraleen moved with him so that she was half-hidden behind him; the perfect place to see and not been seen. The rest of the council spread out so that they encompassed the long chamber, but none of them were near each other, which caused Avaraleen to mutter under breath.

Link half-turned so he could whisper, "Do you really think that they would change after a lifetime of hating each other?"

"I was expecting a bit more effort than that," she hissed back, her eyes glaring daggers at Daren's huge form across the chamber. The Goron was well away from Azure, who was pointedly not looking at him as the Zora found the nearest drinks station. "If I thought that by revealing myself would do some good, I would, but I know for a fact it would do more harm than good."

"How is that?" Link asked, slipping the Master Sword to its original back on his back.

"By the time I left all of their domains, they all hated me." Avaraleen nodded at the huge doors at the far end. "Heads up."

Link felt his back straighten as a man in his forties walked through the doors holding a long staff. The man banged the staff three times on the ground and said, "Lord Dotour of Termina and Ichar du Ikana, the champion of Termina."

Through the doors came a nobleman in his thirties and a huge soldier armed with a sheathed broadsword. Link noticed the way the nobleman looked throughout the room as he approached the throne, seemingly unimpressed by what he saw. The soldier kept his hand on his sword as he followed one step behind the nobleman. It was hard to read his face, but it seemed nothing would faze him.

Stopping about ten feet away from the throne, the nobleman (Lord Dotour, Link reminded himself) bowed to the king. "Your Majesty, King of Hyrule," he said in an oily voice, "I bring greetings from my sovereign, King Derrick. With me is Ichar du Ikana of the Ikana Kingdom, the one who single-handedly routed a group of terrible sorcerers from Termina."

Link heard Avaraleen stir behind him at that. "Oh, so that's where they went," she murmured. "That is, if he's talking about who I'm thinking of."

Daphne stood before Link could ask her who she was thinking of. "Lord Dotour, I welcome you to Hyrule and you as well, Ichor du Ikana." The king said. "It is always an honor to host great warriors from our allies."

"Ah, yes, allies." Lord Dotour had a slightly smug smile playing on his lips. "Well, your Majesty, King Derrick feels quite uncertain about the nature of the alliance between Hyrule and Termina, for the sorcerers that were removed from Termina were revealed to have originated from Hyrule."

"Interlopers," Link whispered and Avaraleen hissed in agreement.

Lord Dotour was not finished. "These sorcerers were user of a dark magic that none have ever seen before, and we discovered that they were known as the Interlopers while they were here in Hyrule." He raised his chin as his smile slowly crept over his face. "But was most appalling was that all the evidence pointed to you, your Majesty, sending them into Termina to weaken the land so you may take the it as your own!"

Link felt his jaw drop as the chamber literally exploded with outcries and shouts as nearly every person in the room began to demand to know where the Terminans had learned such a lie. That had to be the biggest piece of Dodongo dung he'd ever heard in his life, and that included what the Interlopers had told his village all those years ago. His hand travelled half-way up to the hilt of the Master Sword as he stepped forward to confront the ambassador, but a black blur pushing past him made him stop.

No one saw Avaraleen move to stand before Lord Dotour, but the sight of him flying backwards several feet drew every eye to the Sorceress who now stood between the ambassador and the throne with her right fist clenched. Even Ichor du Iknana had shock written clearly on his face, which seemed odd for such a huge warrior. Silence fell as Lord Dotour pushed himself to his feet, gaping at the seemingly frail girl who was now staring daggers at him through her mask.

"How dare you," she growled, stepping towards him. "How dare you come here and accuse those who suffered long than you at the hands of those murderers. Who told you these false accusations?"

Lord Dotour worked his jaw up and down, revealing the place where she had hit him. "And just who do you think you are to address me this way?" he sneered, looking at her up and down. "You are nothing more than a mere commoner."

She gave him her full hunter's smile as she took another step forward. "I'm someone you really don't want to tick off, but that doesn't matter right. What matters in the answer to my question: _who told you these false accusations?_" She stared right into his eyes and Link could feel the power around her growing. The ambassador was now treading on thin ice. One wrong move, and a hard knock on the jaw would be the least of his worries.

Either Lord Dotour was an idiot, or he really didn't think Avaraleen was that big of a threat because he just smiled back and replied, "I have sources that only you could dream of." To make matters worse, he pointed at her when he said it.

Judging by the cry of pain, Link guessed that Avaraleen had grabbed the offending hand and twisted it up Dotour's back, but his focus had been on Ichor du Ikana. The minute Avaraleen had begun to advance on the ambassador, Termina's champion had inched his way forward with his hand on his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. When she had officially assaulted the ambassador, Ichor drew his sword and would've tackled her had not the tip of the Master Sword suddenly appeared at the base of his neck.

"Not another step," Link growled. "Your lord has insulted my country with false information, and I want to know who said it." He glanced over at Avaraleen. Sure enough, she had Dotour's arm twisted behind his back. "Wouldn't you agree, Sorceress?"

"Of course I do. Why do you think I was asking him?" Her voice took on a false cheerfulness as she shook her hair out of her face and addressed Dotour. "You think your sources are better, Terminan? I highly doubt that, because mine are far more accurate and I never, not even once, heard that Hyrule sent the Interlopers into Termina." Looking up, she located Ivan in the crowd. "Have the Sheikah heard anything like that?" she called, and Ivan shook his head. Turning to the other side of the room, she saw Navarra. "How about the Gerudo? They hear anything?" The Matriarch also shook her head.

Avaraleen twisted her face into an exaggerated expression of shock. "A Gerudo and a Sheikah actually agreed on something? What a surprise." She returned her attention to Dotour. "Two different races, one thief, one assassin, and they _never_ heard anything like what you just said. Never. Now I'm going to give you one last chance, or I will give you up to the people for them to do as they wish: _who told you these false accusations?_"

"I did." Link tore his gaze from Avaraleen to the open doors at the far end. Standing in between them was a short figure dressed in tattered black robes. He became award of the Master Sword vibrating gently under his fingers and the feeling that something wasn't right. He had a feeling he knew exactly what the cause was, but he was praying with all his might that he was wrong. _Please, Farore, please, don't let this guy be one of them. Please tell me he's not. Please, please, please-_

"Blakcor." Avaraleen released Dotour and stepped to the side as the figure appraoched. "I should've known that you would've been one of the ones to escape. I supposed you've been hiding somewhere waiting for the next powerful person to work for."

Bakcor sneered as he stopped fifteen feet away. "I see you haven't changed much, Nightingale, and on the contrary, no, I haven't been in hiding. I've actually been looking for you."

Link forgot all about Ichor and went to stand behind Avaraleen. "You know him?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"Unfortunately, I do." She raised her voice so that everyone could hear. "He's an Interloper and one of Zamur's lackeys, though why he would be looking for me is beyond my comprehension."

Link felt his eyes narrow as gasps and murmurs ran throughout the room. So this was the type of person who would run when things got tough. He was a small, mousy-looking man, someone a person would forget easily, but it didn't change the fact that he was an Interloper, and Avaraleen had one of her blades in her right hand while her left was glittering with blue-violet sparks.

"Ah, my dear Nightingale, he has searched for you ever since you left," Blaknor said with the fakest look of concern Link had ever seen anyone attempt.

"Escaped more like it," she snarled. "You know what he did to me in that tower."

"He says that he wants you to return to where you belong, at his side. He says that he will forgive you for everything," Blaknor insisted, and Link realized what the Interloper was trying to do; he was trying to set the people in the room against her by implying that she was Zamur's consort.

Avaraleen appeared to be shaking with the effort of holding herself back. "You can tell that bastard son of a Goddess-forsaken Leever that I will never, ever, go back to him and that I swore to the Goddesses that the next time we meet, I will personally shove a sword into that thing he called a heart. That is, if he doesn't beat me to him." She gestured at Link.

Blaknor scoffed at him. "That's the so-called Hero? Pathetic. How could a boy like you defeat the great Lord Karamus?"

Link gave him a feral grin. "With this." He raised the Master Sword's point a few inches. "Care to try it out?"

"Another time, boy." The Interloper returned his attention to Avaraleen. "Last chance, Nightingale, come with me now, willingly, or I will force you."

"Oh, I'd like to see you try." Avaraleen drew herself up to her full height. "Will you make the same mistake as Zamur and mistake a Nightingale for a Phoenix?"

"What does that mean? Never mind, it doesn't matter." Blaknor caused a fireball to appear in his hand. "Zamur told us all your secret; you're not as strong as you once were." He threw the fireball at her with tremendous speed.

Avaraleen twisted to the side and raised her blade. The mirror-bright steel reflected the fire harmlessly to the ground as she threw her left hand, palm down, out in front. Immediately tendrils of blue-violet fire shot out of her hand and flew towards Blaknor. The Interloper attempted to raise a shield, but at the last second, Avaraleen reverse her hand so the palm was up and the fire became ice that trapped Blaknor in a narrow cage.

"He told you that I was weak?" she said, and both Link and Ichor backed away from the Sorceress. Despite her calm voice and posture, Avaraleen was surrounded by an invisible force that felt menacing. "He said that I was some frail female that had to rely on men to do what I could not?" More fire appeared in her hand. "I don't think so."

Blaknor broke out of his icy prison only to find himself in another, this one fire. "I believe you are," he jeered at her. "You're only using spells children know." A streak of light shot from inside the circle of fire towards Avaraleen, but once again she batted it aside with her blade.

"Oh you're just jealous because I'm doing all of this left-handed." She flicked at the ground under the Interloper, causing the stones he was standing on to jump and knock him off his feet. "And you keep underestimating the power of simple spells." The fiery prison disappear, revealing Blaknor lying on his back, held down by bindings of golden light.

"Jealous, am I?" The light bindings vanished and Blaknor jumped to his feet as dark purple light appeared around him. "Let me show you how jealous I am!"

Link heard Avaraleen gasp. "Oh, no," she whispered. She dropped her blade and was barely able to bring both hands before her to raise a shield before a torrent of dark purple light reached her. The force of it must have been tremendous since it drove her to her knees, but the shield held.

_But she can't hold it forever,_ a little voice inside of Link said.

_But what can I do?_ he asked it. _I'm no mage, no sorcerer. This is way beyond my experience._

_You have the Blade of Evil's Bane._ Link looked down at the sword in his hand and felt a plan form.

_She might kill me for this, but it should work._ He ducked into the crowd in the side and swiftly made his way up to Blaknor_. Just hold it a little while longer, Avaraleen._ He emerged unnoticed from the crowd behind the Interloper and raised his sword.

_This is for all you've done, _he said silently, but a scream made him freeze.

Avaraleen's shield had failed, and she now had her hands over her face as Blaknor laughed at her. "You lose," he said with triumph.

Link broke free of his daze. "I don't think so," he smirked as Blaknor turned to face him. Before the Interloper could do anything more than gape, Link drove the Master Sword through Blaknor's chest. "You lose."

He let the body fall before racing down the chamber and sliding to a stop on his knees before Avaraleen. She still had her face in her hands and her body shook as she gasped for air. Link reached out to touch her shoulder, but she jumped and pushed herself away. "Get away from me!" she whispered.

"Sorceress, it's me." He gently pulled one of her hands away from her face. "Avaraleen, it's me, Link."

"Link?" She looked up at him and it was all he could do not to gasp. The right side of her mask was badly burned, but it seemed to have protected her face as there were only minor burns on the surrounding skin. It was her eyes, however, that were unsettling; they were slowing changing back to their usual red-gold state from a bright blue-violet, but they were full of terror. It was as though she had been to the Evil Realm and back again. She blinked once at him before burying her face into her shoulder. Sobs racked her body as she began to cry.

Feeling everyone's eyes on him, Link wrapped his arms around the crying girl and cursed Zamur once more for everything: destroying his village, starting the war, killing his squad, hiding from everyone so that they thought the war was over, doing something to Avaraleen that caused him to be in this very awkward situation…

Sniffing, Avaraleen pushed herself back a bit. "About time you took the hint to get him while I had him distracted," she said weakly, and then winced as the mask scraped her burnt skin. "Oh, there's no hope for it now that they've found me." She removed her mask and tossed to the side. "I hated that thing anyways."

She allowed Link to help her up as she picked up her blade from where she had dropped it. Running her fingers through her hair, she glared at Blaknor's body. "I know there were times when I didn't like you, you greedy coward," she hissed as she sheathed her sword, "but this was one of those times when I _really_ hate you."

Link slipped the Master Sword back into its sheath. "Well, that's one less Interloper we have to deal with," he said cheerfully as he offer her an arm.

Avaraleen rolled her eyes as she grudgingly leaned against him. "One down, about twenty more to go, and that's not including Zamur."

Link gave a quick nod to the king before he began to help Avaraleen out of the audience chamber, but Navarra blocked their path.

"Avaraleen?" the Gerudo whispered. "Is that you?"

Avaraleen seemed to now notice her now bare face in a crowded room as Ivan made his way over. "Oh, crap."

Link grabbed his forehead in exasperation. First an insulting ambassador, then an Interloper, now what appeared to be extremely awkward family reunion appeared to be taking place. Was anything else going to happen today?

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I am SO sorry for taking so long, but these are the reasons why: school (which has been crazy as of late), work, family, my very lacking social life, checking up on Skyward Sword (yes, I am unafraid of spoilers), and school. All of that, and the fact that I had a bit of writer's block on this chapter. I will have to warn all of you, the next chapter might take even longer to post 'cause of November being right around the corner, and I, so many others, will have no life in November. I will do my best to write as fast as I can, but no guarantees of anything remotely on schedule, and I feel so bad to all of my faithful readers 'cause you all are so great.<p>

Thank-you all again for reading. Please leave a review by clicking the "Review this Chapter" link at the bottom of the page and I will reply as soon as I ca-**hears music playing outside window, sighs** Can someone remind me why I have Guru-Guru outside my window? I only mentioned to him that I like the song he plays, not him! **throws brick out window. A shocked yell and loud banging follow as music ends** And people wonder why I keep a brick in my room. Well until next time, dragoness of storm, out! See ya!


	10. Secrets of a Sorceress

Special thanks (and cookies) to: SamuriaSal1 and radar1942 for the reviews and all that jazz, and of course thanks to all of the anonymous readers who give a lot of hits (current count: 1148).

Anyways, on with the story!

* * *

><p>"And what makes you think that I am incapable of handling such a situation?"<p>

"Because you are the same person who insisted on sending a team of average assassins to take both him and Karamus out."

"We thought that they had accomplished the deed, but died in the attempt."

"Oh, they died in the attempt, _twenty feet away from their targets_. I told you, it was a job that only the Kasha-Deem could have handled. You didn't know Zamur then, and you don't know him now. If you're going to keep underestimating him, then you're of no help to anyone."

Link sat back in his quarters with his head in his hands. He'd managed to get Avaraleen up there without being followed by any nobles, but he hadn't thought about Ivan with his full knowledge of the castle showing up a minute later with Navarra right behind him. Both of them were in Avaraleen's room with Ivan shouting at the top of his lungs, which seemed odd for the normally quiet Sheikah. Navarra had remained unusually silent for now, but if the look she had on her face said anything, it was that the minute Ivan was done, she would launch a tirade of her own.

Since the door was closed, Link couldn't see anyone, but judging by the tone of the voices, he could tell that Avaraleen was subtly refusing to answer any of Ivan's questions, which consisted of mostly demanding the reasons why she never returned to the Sheikah Caverns during the war. They mostly spoke in the common language, but every now and then one of them would say something in the Sheikah language. What little he could understand were parts of insults he'd learned during his time in the castle, but he did hear Zamur's name appear a few times.

Finally, after about thirty minutes of them straight arguing, there was a sound of steel scraping steel. "Ivan, get out of here, or so help me, I will throw you out the window," Avaraleen said firmly. "Why I did what I did is of no concern to you."

"It is a concern since the king is considering throwing you into the dungeons to await your execution!" The door opened and Ivan backed out of the room, still arguing with Avaraleen. "I might be able to convince him to keep you alive!"

"Since when did you care whether I lived or died?" She shouted at him. "You can tell him that if he kills me, he will kill the only person who can do what all of you can't, and that is only if I don't break out of any hole he puts me in first! And yes, I do have an idea of what to do!"

"You are so impossible; it is no wonder that you are Stephen's daughter!" Ivan shouted back before slamming the door close. Something hard thudded on the other side of the door: either Avaraleen or Navarra had thrown something at him right before he had shut the door. Judging by the voice snarling Gerudo curses on the other side of the door, it was most likely Avaraleen.

Ivan sighed angrily before looking at Link. "Do you know what she was doing during the war?" the Sheikah demanded.

Link ran his fingers through his hair, thinking back to what she had told him all those months ago. "She said that she was in hiding during the war up until three months before I fought Karamus. I guess that she had been captured by Zamur and he was torturing her to join him. She escaped right before my battle with Karamus and has been in hiding ever since."

"She told you that?" Ivan looked shocked at the information.

Link shrugged. "What she really said was that she had Zamur's 'attention' during that time, but I guessing that's what happened because…" He trailed off, unsure of how to say it, but then forged ahead. "There's something wrong with her," he said in a low voice. "She won't tell me what, but I know Zamur's the one responsible."

"What is wrong with her?" Ivan sat down in a chair in front of Link. "Describe it to me."

Link glanced at the door from where a soft conversation in Gerudo was taking place before returning to the Sheikah. "She has these pains coming from her lower back. Sometimes they're light enough that she'll be staring at nothing in particular until it passes, but other times, they get so bad that she collapses." He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and stared at the tips of his boots, remembering their last duel in the Kokiri Forest. "Whatever he did to her, it frightens her to no end. She almost killed me during one of the bad ones."

"This is bad, the Avaraleen I know is not easily frightened." Ivan tapped the arm of the chair. "If it is what I think it is, then what Zamur has done is the _Dastier_, the ultimate Sheikah banishment. It is most likely the reason behind her hiding in the Lost Woods."

"What is the _Dastier_?" Link asked.

"The _Dastier_ is a brand place upon a traitor that will eventually drive them from Hyrule and never let them return." Ivan rubbed his forehead. "The brand will cause immense pain when it detects Shadow magic, namely any member of the Sheikah. If they don't stay away from Shadow magic, the brand will eventually kill the one wearing it by blood poisoning."

"And the Sheikah are everywhere except for the Lost Woods," Link said, and Ivan nodded.

"And also the Gerudo Desert, but obviously she has avoided her sisters for quite some time." Ivan sighed. "There is only one way to remove the magic of the brand, and that is for the one who put it there to forgive the one it was put upon."

Link remembered what Blaknor had said. _He will forgive you for everything_. "She refused her only chance to remove it," he said softly. "She really must hate him."

"Indeed, if she would continue to defy him even though it would kill her." Ivan stared out the window. "Sometimes I believe we were too hard on her. She has done so much, helping bring down the Interlopers, resisting Zamur, daring to do what others would not, and yet we still refused to accept her, which only makes her try harder. Perhaps that is why I think that all of the new recruits lack imagination and determination. She pushed herself to show that she was as good as everyone else, if not better, and in turn drove the others around her to attempt to prove her wrong." He looked down. "We owe her so much, yet I feel that she will not accept it."

Link sat up. "Why not? Is it her pride that makes her reject what she needs?"

Ivan gave a short laugh. "Link, Avaraleen's been on her own for her entire life. Everyone she ever knew shunned her just because she is only half of what they want her to be, so she's gotten use to depending on herself for everything. She'll lend help to those who need it if she can, but expects none in return. If she fails, then only she will take the fall. It may seem like pride to you, it did to us, I assure you, but this is how she has survived for years."

"Oh." Link leaned back in his chair. "I didn't think about that."

"That is because you've only known her for a few months, while I have known her for years, but do not think I know everything." Ivan smiled at him. "She is a woman after all. They are complicated beings, and she is one of the most complex, as she learned from the cradle to keep her secrets close."

"Like the _Dastier_ brand?" Link asked quietly.

Ivan nodded again. "That is something you must never mention to anyone. It is her secret, and I don't think she'll take it too kindly if she found out you knew. She has never been one to accept pity, or even give it now that I think of it."

"I know that already," Link replied with a grin. "She yelled at me for being chivalrous when I first found her, and I was just offering to sleep on the floor."

"You were also half-healed at the time." Link and Ivan looked up to see Navarra and Avaraleen standing at the open door. "Do I even want to know what you two were talking about?" Avaraleen asked.

"Nothing you either of you would want to hear," Ivan quickly said before Link could come up with an answer. Navarra seemed to accept the vague answer, but Avaraleen furrowed her brow and tapped her finger against her hip.

_Uh-oh_, Link said silently. _She_ _knows what we were talking about, or she suspects_.

"Perhaps, but I still remember telling you to get out." Avaraleen crossed her arms.

"Out of your room, but can I not have a conversation in a place where you are not in?" Ivan countered spreading his hands wide. Both Avaraleen and Navarra raised an eyebrow and looked at each other in an identical fashion that left no doubt that they were sisters. Ivan flinched. "Or we could just take our conversation elsewhere. I need to speak with the king anyways. Will you mind joining me, Link?"

Despite it being phrased as a question, Link knew it was a subtle hint that they both had to leave now. "Yeah, uh, sure. I'll come." He stood and glanced at the two women before quickly following Ivan out of the room. Once the door was closed behind them, Link stared at Ivan and whispered "What was that all about?"

"If you ever have to lie to a Gerudo or a Sheikah, use a bit of the truth." Ivan seemed a little flustered. "And if you're in the same room with two Gerudo, and they used that one expression, get out immediately or they will start talking about you in Gerudo and laughing like they know something you don't."

"You didn't have a problem with that earlier," Link pointed out.

"It was easier to pretend that Avaraleen was a Sheikah." Ivan led the way down the stairs. "And Navarra is easy to ignore when you're the one controlling the conversation." Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Ivan rubbed the back of his neck. "Convincing the king not to imprison her will be a job and a half," he muttered. "It was all I could do just to stop him from sending the knights to arrest her."

"Maybe some words of wisdom from an old Sheikah and a young Hero will help change his mind," Link offered with a smile.

Ivan laughed. "If it will help. Worse comes to the worse, she'll break out of any prison he may throw her in and address him in some public place just to embarrass him before making off with the crown jewels as a joke."

ooo000ooo

Avaraleen waited for the "boys" to leave before sinking down into one of the chairs. "So, what do you think of him?" she asked Navarra in the Gerudo dialect.

Her half-sister smiled at her. "Isn't he a little young for you?"

Avaraleen glared at her. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"I'm just messing with you, little bird." Navarra took a seat as well and leaned back. "I know exactly what you mean."

"Then answer the question." Secretly Avaraleen was shocked that her sister still remembered her old nickname.

Navarra stared at the door. "He makes me wish that he was our king instead of that weak-willed son of Desnae."

Avaraleen raised an eyebrow. "The Matriarch of the Gerudo doubts her king? By the way, I know it's a few years late, but congratulations on that. I know it wasn't easy."

Navarra nodded with a small smile. "Actually, it was easier than I thought, and that is part of the reason why I think he's incompetent. The other candidates were younger than me and lacked determination."

"Who is Desnae?" Avaraleen asked, chewing on her lower lip. "Do I know her?"

"She is Asheena's daughter."

"The slacker that was always following us and thought she could do everything better than me?"

"The very same."

"Well, that explains a lot." Avaraleen rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, her son is exactly like her."

"Exactly." Navarra nodded. "The only good thing I can say about him now is that we will have plenty of daughters during his reign."

"Well, at least he's not completely incompetent."

Both of them burst out laughing at this. "And I thought you were completely devoid of wit!" Navarra choked out.

"You forget I've dealt with the thieves in the black market!" Avaraleen replied. "How else do you think I got what I was after?"

This caused another burst of laughter that lasted for a good ten minutes and then Navarra caught her breath. The laughter faded from her face as she reached for a pouch she wore at her waist. "Did you hear about Mother?"

Avaraleen nodded. Nervi had been killed in a raid nearly seventeen years ago. "I was at Lake Hylia when I heard the news. Let's just say I wasn't too kind to the next batch of raiders I came across."

"Neither was I, but I believe she knew that was her last fight." Navarra pulled the pouch off her belt. "She gave me this with the intentions that I was to give this to you if we ever met again." She handed the pouch to Avaraleen. "I've never opened it, for what is in there was meant for you, and you alone."

Avaraleen took the pouch and opened it. What lay inside shocked her to the core, but thankfully her Sheikah training kicked in and she was able to keep a straight face. She had suspected that Nervi's fall from grace had been more than just having a relationship with a Sheikah, but this was just too much for her to take in. What if he was one as well…? No, no, he couldn't be. She would have known, but there had to be a reason for him not to see her for nearly two years.

Her lower back flared and she turned her head to hide her wince, but not fast enough. "Avaraleen, are you alright?" Navarra asked.

Avaraleen waved her hand. "I'm fine. Just an old injury."

"Are you sure?" Navarra asked. "Old injuries rarely have that affect, sister."

"Navarra, I am fine," Avaraleen snapped, rising to her feet. "I have been dealing with this for some time now, and I have it under control. Din's Fire, both you and Ivan could care less about me before! What am I, just a tool for you to use when it is convenient? Farore, you sound just like him!"

"Avaraleen, no. You are my sister, one of the Gerudo. You are always welcomed back to the Fortress." Navarra reached out to her, but Avaraleen pulled away.

"You have an odd way of showing it, _sister_. I have returned, several times, to the Fortress, but all I found was hostility. You pushed me away at every opportunity, and now you expect me to walk back just because I appear weak? You can just get out, and take your lies with you." She stalked back into her room and slammed the door, still holding the pouch. She listened to the foot-steps of Navarra approaching the closed door, but her half-sister seemed to think twice, for she soon walked away. The sound of the other door closing soon followed.

Avaraleen sank onto the bed. Too much had happened this day. First there was the meeting, then the fight in the audience chamber with Blaknor, and now both her half-sister and Ivan (who was a distant cousin somewhere down the line on her father's side) were on to her case. _And if Link told Ivan what I think he did, Ivan suspects what Zamur did to me._

She sighed and cursed Zamur. Now that she was out in the open, Ivan would most likely insist that she stay in the castle under armed guard, which wouldn't be a problem since she could easily ditch any kind of guard he set around her, but it still irritated her that she was being treated like some delicate noblewoman. Not that she could do any good anyway now. Zamur's mark would leave her defenseless at the wrong moment. If only there was a way that didn't involve him to remove it…

_It's not really me, there's just something_ about _me it doesn't like_.

With a gasp, she stood up. Sweet Nayru, she had said the answer to her solution herself, but how was she going to get it? He always kept it with him at all times, so how was she going to…? Her eyes lit up at the sight of the window the narrow ledge outside the window and how it extended beyond her own window to the balcony in the center before encompassing the entire tower.

_Sometimes rules have to be broken._ It was one of the first rules among thieves, and it was one she had followed frequently in the past. And now, it looked like she was going to have to use again, and it would have to be tonight since it seemed that it was going to be her last night without ever-present guards in the next room. _Sorry, Link, but I'm breaking my own rules. I'm sneaking into your room tonight._

ooo000ooo

"So what you both are saying is that the Sorceress, Avaraleen, is _not_ a threat?" The king glared at Link and Ivan as they nodded. Link was a little frightened; never before had he seen Daphne this angry. The three of them were back into the council room deep underneath the castle. "Have you both forgotten that she is known to the Interlopers?"

"Sire, she once was affiliated to them, but when she found out what their intentions were, she turned against them." Ivan stood stoically as the king fumed. "Avaraleen is not a threat, but she is someone we need to protect."

"And what makes you think that?" the king demanded. "What makes you believe that she will not turn against us?"

"Your Majesty, you have not seen her when she talks about Zamur." Link came forward now. "When she does, she calls him every insulting name under the sun. Zamur betrayed her, and that is one of the reasons why she has been in hiding all this time."

"Sire, she still is the only one who can do what no one else can," Ivan added. "Avaraleen has said that she has an idea what to do, which makes this one step closer than where we were last year. We have to protect her."

"Good luck convincing her with that." All three men turned to see Navarra standing nearby. "She's been on her own for too long to accept help from an outside source."

"So throw her into the dungeons and the matter is settled," said the king, throwing his hands in the air in desperation, but Navarra and Ivan both shook their heads.

"She'll break out," they said at the same time. Ivan winced and let Navarra continue: "She's in one of her moods again, the one where she'll snapped at anyone and everyone. She knows that we will be attempting to protect her in some way." She gave everyone an apologetic look as she gestured towards herself and Ivan. "Most of it's our fault."

Daphne gave them a look. "And that is because…?"

"We ignored her and pushed her away for most of her life, and we're now only paying attention to her because we need her." Ivan said heavily. "In that sense, we are all like Zamur and just want her for her power."

The silence that fell weighed heavily upon all of them as they considered this. In this new angle, Link could see why Avaraleen had hidden herself away from everyone: she did not want to be used like some tool that was thrown away at the first opportunity. _He invited me to join them, saying they could use someone with my skills and expertise with the different magicks of Hyrule... He said he would be there for me when no one else would, and I believed him right up until he betrayed me._ Avaraleen herself had warned him of her greatest fear, and Link had brought her straight to the Dodongo's den.

"We're lucky that she really hates Zamur then," he said. "Otherwise she would've kicked me out of the Lost Woods at the first chance."

The king tapped his chin thoughtfully before asking, "Is she truly against Zamur and all that he does?"

"Sire, if she was with him, she would've slit my throat the moment she found me," Link said firmly. "I have no doubt that any of his other adamant followers would've done that at the first chance just for killing Karamus."

"Zamur used her," Ivan added. "He pretended to love her just so he could have access to the magic she wields."

"Majesty, I know my sister well, and she wouldn't call him a son of a Leever if she really didn't like him," Navarra replied. "If she had things her way, she would be hunting him down right now to drag his pathetic carcass by the entrails all the way to the desert and let him be eaten by the carrion crawlers."

Everyone winced at the harshness of the statement. "She wouldn't," Link said weakly.

"She would." Navarra crossed her arms. "It is the worse Gerudo punishment for a man, and she might take it to the full extent. What I described was the milder version."

"Do we want to know the full version?" Ivan asked warily.

Navarra shook her head. "I'll let you use your imagination, but I will tell you it's not pretty."

"Returning to the matter at hand," the king said quickly. "Avaraleen is not a threat, correct?" All three nodded and he sighed heavily. "Very well, but know that I still do not trust her."

"I think that road goes both ways," Link muttered. He saw the king looking at him and added, "You don't want to know what she said about you."

"Hmm…" Daphne began to pace in the room. "You say that she needs to be protected. Why?"

Ivan sighed. "As a former Sheikah, Zamur can only use Shadow magic that he himself generates, but once it is gone, he will have to wait for more to generate. If he is near another source of Shadow magic, he can use that, plus what he has himself. The display of magic that Avaraleen revealed proves that she can change one form of magic to another, and instantaneously as was seen when she changed fire to ice. She is also a different type of sorceress as that she does not use magic from inside herself, but from around her. She can put a little of herself into a spell to make it more powerful, but that would tire her out if used continuously. To Zamur, Avaraleen is an endless supply of Shadow magic. He will stop at nothing to have her at his side, even if it cost him the lives of his men. Blaknor was an example of that."

The king frowned. "She's stayed away from him for this long."

"But that was when she was in hiding, deep within the Lost Woods," Ivan countered. "Now she's back out in the open, and he now knows where she's at."

"Can't she go back to the Lost Woods?" Navarra asked.

Link shook his head. "New creatures have appeared there. He most likely knows she was there for some time by now by their reduced numbers."

"And the Fortress is out of the question," Navarra added. "Everyone knows she's half Gerudo."

"The Sheikah Caverns will not work for…certain reasons. She will have to stay here under guard." Ivan sank into a chair.

"Should I have a company of knights outside her door, then?" the king asked, but Ivan shook his head.

"No, they would attract too much attention and she would find a way to get rid of them." Ivan rubbed his chin thoughtfully before looking at Navarra. "Do you think she would mind the…?" He raised his eyebrows pointedly.

Link was lost in the conversation, but Navarra seemed to understand for she soon nodded. "I think she would deal with them, but it would be better if they were from yours. She has quite the reputation among mine. Two should be fine."

Ivan nodded as well. "I'll send for them tonight. I have just the people in mind."

"Who are you two talking about?" the king said, completely bewildered.

"People you never want to meet, Majesty," Ivan said gravely, "but they are people we know Avaraleen can at least tolerate and they are among the most trustworthy people we know."

"Well, she won't throw them out the window at first sight," Navarra admitted with a shrug.

"But who are you calling?" Link wanted to know. "Avaraleen didn't want anyone as a guard when we first got here, so what makes you think that she will tolerate two new people?"

Navarra hesitated for a moment, then said, "They are people that, as both a Gerudo and a Sheikah, she knows about them and respects them. Who they are is a secret that is held within the two races, but I can assure you that you do not want to know exactly what they are or have them after you. We can't tell you more than that."

"They won't kill me in the middle of the night, will they?" Link asked.

"As long as you don't offend them, you'll be fine," Ivan assured him.

"How soon will the two you speak of get here?" the king asked.

"They will be here by early tomorrow morning," Ivan answered, "and you will not have to worry about our secrecy; both of them have taken oaths of secrecy as a part of their rank."

"Good." The king nodded. "Inform the others that we will meet here tomorrow at the same time as we did today, and Ivan, I want these two to be with her at all times. In the meantime, I will be having a few words with the Terminan ambassador." The way he said it didn't make Link think that those words included "blessings" as he followed the others out of the room. Navarra disappeared down the corridor as he tapping Ivan on the shoulder.

"I thought you said that being around the Sheikah would eventually kill her," Link murmured.

"Normally, yes, but she somehow has managed to fashion some kind of protection," Ivan replied softly. "If she didn't, she would've collapsed long before the fight with Blaknor since this place is crawling with Sheikah. Trust me, she knows her limits, and I'll instruct my men to back off if she starts snapping at them, though, the two I'm thinking of shouldn't be too much of a problem. They are good at what they do, but the moment a woman turns her tongue against them, they go shy and agree to everything the woman says."

"Sounds like they have a good idea," Link mused, remembering what an old guardsman had said once. "A man can stay out of trouble if he agrees with an angry woman."

Ivan shook his head. "True, but the right woman can take advantage of that and get them killed. We've been trying to break them of that for some time now. Hopefully Avaraleen can help us with that."

Link stared at him. "You want Avaraleen to break them of being shy? Knowing her temper, she'll make it worse. That is, if she doesn't throw them out the window or challenge them to a duel first."

"They should be able to handle that." Ivan laughed. "That is the least of my worries. What concerns me most is how many times she will elude them just to irritate them, and me for that matter."

ooo000ooo

"The second hour, and all is well!"

_If things go to plan, they most certainly will be._ Avaraleen watched the pattern of the guards below, judging whether or not they would look up. By looks of things, she wouldn't have a problem with that, especially at two in the morning. They were half-asleep and sluggish in their movements, which meant it was the time a thief relished. No guards looking out, nearly everyone was asleep. It was time to prowl.

Flipping the catch that held the window close, she pushed out the half that she had especially oiled so that it wouldn't creak when it moved. The spring air was chilly, causing her to shiver, but then again, she wore her shorter Kokiri dress: she needed as much freedom of movement as possible. Now that she thought of it, why did she wear that ridiculously long dress anyways? The thing always got in her way no matter what she did; it was hot, uncomfortable, clumsy…

With a small shake of her head, she brought herself back to the matter at hand. She was going to need to stay focused on this if it had even the slightest possibility of it working. Taking a deep breath, she slipped out of the window and onto the narrow ledge. It was just wide enough for her to crouch on outside the window, but further down, it narrowed to the point where she would have to make her way hand over hand to her destination.

_Looks like all that time climbing buildings is going to pay off._ Digging the tips of her boots to whatever toeholds she could find, she allowed herself to hang off the side and slowly made her way to the balcony. She pulled herself up on the railing and walked half-crouched on it over to the other side before jumping to the other ledge outside Link's window. Catching it by her fingertips, she hung there for a moment, making sure no one had heard her before pulling herself up on the ledge. Looking through the window she saw Link asleep on his side, bare-chested, towards the window, while the Master Sword lay on a table behind him. Din's Fire, it was a good thing she had thought of this beforehand, but still, having a person facing her (even while asleep) was difficult to work around.

Pulling a slim knife out of her belt, she inserted it between the two halves of the window to flip the catch from the outside and pry open one half. Once more, it opened silently due to her earlier preparations and she slipped silently into the room. Her soft-soled boots didn't make a single sound as she ghosted over to the Master Sword. Once in front of it, she pulled a thick piece of leather out of her pouch and set it in between her teeth to prevent her from making a sound. Flexing her right hand, she sent up a quick prayer to all three Goddesses and took a deep breath before placing her hand directly on the gem set on the pommel. _Here goes nothing._

ooo000ooo

Link frowned as he took his seat in the council chamber. Something was off; however he just couldn't put his finger on it. He had been feeling this way ever since he woke up, but it seemed as though he wasn't going to get any answers anytime soon. Next to him, Avaraleen tapped the table impatiently. She seemed extremely displeased about something, and she kept glancing at Navarra every now and then.

_Crap, she must have found out the guards. I thought Navarra said she wouldn't mind them too much._ He twisted his hands under the table. Ivan was the only one missing from the room, which was making Link a little nervous about who the Sheikah said he would be bringing. _What is taken him so long?_

A knock at door made everyone look up at the three men who entered. Ivan was in the lead, followed by two identical men dressed all in black with dark red sashes at their waists. Both newcomers had their sashes knotted in an intriguing way so it supported what looked like a fine coiled chain. Avaraleen took one look at both of them and swore under her breath. "I knew something like this was going to happen," she said out loud, "but I don't know whether I should be honored or insulted."

"Be grateful," Ivan replied. "I normally don't call them just for anyone."

"Well, at least you listened to me now and brought them into the picture." Avaraleen crossed her arms as she surveyed the two silent men. The pair of them appeared to be about twenty-five and a little uncomfortable under her sharp scrutiny. "They're a little young, though. You sure they can handle whatever Zamur sends next?"

"We earned our rank at the age of twenty," one of the men said. "We are capable of handling anything that comes our way."

"I highly doubt that. He was grown long before you two were born." She sighed and murmured a sentence in Gerudo that made Navarra sigh and roll her eyes. "But you will do for now. Keep your eyes open, and you might just learn something." She turned to the king. "So why are we all here again?"

"You told Ivan that you had an idea on how to protect the Master Sword so that only the right person could obtain it." The king leaned forward. "Please, share it with everyone."

Avaraleen leaned back in her chair. "It won't be easy, and I won't guarantee that it will work. What we first need is a place to serve as a vault of some kind. It needs to be in a public place so the sword can be found when needed, but the room has to be hidden so no passer-by can stumble upon in by accident."

"The room where we hid the sword at first is in the Temple of Time," Rauru offered. "Very few know it even exists."

Avaraleen raised an eyebrow. "It's perfect then because _I've_ never heard about it." She leaned forward and sighed. "My plan involves surrounding the room with a barrier that will only allow certain people to enter. The barrier will be tied to the Master Sword, so as long as the sword survives, so will the protection.

"The barrier will be comprised of magic from all over Hyrule, but the residue off people who've been near them won't be strong enough. This is where it gets dangerous. I'm going to need pure magic from each of the six sources, and the only one who can get them is the one who is currently wielding the sword." She looked right at Link. "Which means you're the one who's going to have to get them."

Link stared at her. "You're kidding me."

Avaraleen gave him an apologetic smile. "No, I'm not. I told you, I need to make sure that I don't block off what made the sword choose you. I still have no idea what that is, and this is the only surefire way that I don't block it."

"And just how am I supposed to get this…'pure magic' you speak off?" Link asked.

"By going into some of the most dangerous places in all of Hyrule," Avaraleen replied. "Light magic is easy enough to get, but in order to get the other five, you'll need to go through five temples scattered throughout Hyrule, and get to the center of each to get what I need."

"Say what?" Link demanded, gaping. "You want me to go where?" He wanted to say more, but apparently he was not the only one shocked by her statement. Everyone else stared at her for a complete second before launching into a tirade about how her plan was completely impossible. Link could hear Daren booming for everyone to hear that there was no way that a Hylian could survive the immense heat of the Death Mountain Crater while Azure wanted to know how someone who was not part fish could breathe underwater. They all seemed to agree that it was a suicidal plan at best, which was making Link nervous. Only the two Sheikah who had come in with Ivan remained silent as Avaraleen stood and pounded the table to get everyone's attention.

"LISTEN!" she barked, and the council fell silent. "Yes, I know it's dangerous, but I wouldn't be sending him there if I didn't think he had a good chance of him surviving and I won't be sending him in there blind. Either I have been to each of them, or I know someone who has."

"Who do you know that has gone to the Forest?" Tamera asked.

"That would be you." Avaraleen raised an eyebrow at the Kokiri's shocked expression as she resumed her seat. "Don't play coy with me, I know you go there. You know more about that place than anyone else, and that includes all three of the Know-It-All Brothers put together."

Tamera crossed her arms. "Busted," she pouted, which caused a chuckle to go through the council.

"You will not be accompanying him?" Rauru asked, leaning forward.

Avaraleen gave him a look. "Do you think I'm going anywhere with Twins One and Two following me everywhere?" She glared back at the two Sheikah who were still standing near the door. "Yes, I don't like you. Either of you." Returning her attention to the king's advisor, she continued; "Do to…recent events, I'm going to have to stay here until this whole business with the Master Sword and Zamur is dealt with. Link will have to return to the castle between the Temples for me to brief him on the next one."

"Can't you get me information on all of them at one time so I can just skip the back-tracking?" Link asked, bur Avaraleen shook her head.

"Zamur's spies will be watching the Temples as well, so you will need to look like you're there for some kind of Royal business, which means you'll have to return to the castle. Hmm…" Avaraleen chewed on her lower lip. "I don't like the idea of sending you in there alone, but there is no one that I can think of that has gone up against the Interlopers except myself and…" She looked up at Daphne. "What is the situation with the Terminan ambassador?"

The king seemed confused. "Lord Dotour has apologized for insulting Hyrule, but I have not found a way for him to prove that _I_ should keep the alliance with Termina. Why do you ask?" He saw the look on her face and his eyes widened. "You're not thinking about sending him along-?"

"Not Lord Dotour. Ichor du Ikana." Avaraleen spread her hands. "According the local gossip, Ichor has also gone up against the several powerful Interlopers. Two people are better than one, and we can make it appear as though both he and Link are in some kind of competition over which kingdom has the better Hero, or champion, whatever you what to call them. We'll have to test his capabilities first, though, to make sure he can handle the Temples. Those things weren't designed to be easy."

"What were they designed for?" Link asked.

"I have no idea," Avaraleen admitted. "That is a question I leave to a higher power."

"So let me see if I got this straight," Azure said. "Link will be going through the five Temples, accompanied by Ichor du Ikana to collect the pure magic you need to cast a barrier around the Master Sword in a hidden room where only the next Hero will be able to obtain it, correct?"

Avaraleen nodded. "While Link's going through the Temples, I'll need all of you to be at or near your respective Temples waiting for him. Daren, Azure, find a way for a Hylian to get through yours without dying. I know for a fact he'll need to go through the Forest one first, since information on that is little to none, so it will be easier to get that out of the way as soon as possible."

"And what will you be doing during this time?" Daren asked.

"I will be inspecting the room that will house the sword and see if there are any improvements that need to be done to make sure no one, and I mean no one, ever walks in there on accident." Avaraleen rubbed the back of her neck. "That, and I will be reviewing my contacts on any information about the Temples, and Zamur as well. I'll try to make sure that he never finds out what we're up to here."

"This seems to be a good plan," the king said, nodding. He looked over at Link. "Do you have any objections, Link?"

_Yes, I would prefer not to be sent on a suicidal mission along with a huge warrior that I don't even know, let alone like_, he wanted to say, but Link just shrugged and turned to Avaraleen. "Are you sure you're not sending me into these very dangerous places just to kill me?"

She laughed at him. "Link, if I wanted you dead, I would do it myself. Like I said before, I wouldn't send you to these places if I didn't think you have a very good chance of you surviving the things. I've been through a few of them myself, so I know a bit on how they work, and I think that you're capable of handling the challenges inside."

Link sighed. "Of course you would." He stretched his arms out behind him. "So, when do I leave?"

"Not for some time." Avaraleen held up a hand to stop the king's upcoming outburst. "Yes, I know we need to get this done as soon as possible, but all of this will be meaningless if we do not plan this out. The first thing we need to do is find a way to test Ichor's abilities and see if he's capable of handling all of this. Just because he says he's taken on Interlopers doesn't mean that he can handle what these Temples can throw at him because one of them is a nightmare, literally." She glanced at Ivan. "You know all about that one."

Ivan was shocked. "You went in there? Even though it was off limits to you?"

Avaraleen shrugged. "I was curious, and the whole off-limits thing just made it even more interesting, but I will admit that you were right and I shouldn't have gone in there." She returned her attention to the king. "Anyways, once we test Ichor's abilities, and if he's willing to come along, then Link and Ichor will go to the Lost Woods with the excuse of them escorting Tamera back to the Kokiri."

"How do you plan to test him?" Navarra asked.

"Oh just a friendly little competition between two Heroes." Avaraleen smiled slyly. "I think we can arrange that in one of the practice yards, right, Link?"

Link gave a half-shrug, but inwardly he was groaning immensely. "I have been hoping to go against someone who will knock me on my rear every five minutes," He said casually. _Actually I've been hoping to find a way to get out of here with all my limbs attached without being sent on suicidal missions. I sooo didn't sign up for this_, he added silently.

The king smacked his palms together. "This is good. I'll arrange for Ichor to be present at the knights' practice arena at noon today."

"We'll be there," Avaraleen said, gesturing at herself and Link before glaring at the two Sheikah who were still at the door. "Along with…those two."

The king nodded. "Good, I shall see you there. The council is adjourned for today."

Link let out a small sigh as everyone stood. _What have I gotten myself into now?_

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><p>Author's Note: Wow, that was quicker than I expected. To everyone who read my last warning, I had a recent epiphany that I just had to write it all out before I forgot it all in the craziness that will start…let's see here… next week, at least for me, so the next chapter will come out a little later than usual. Can I just say that I will be flat broke by the end of this month? Good grief, what is with everyone coming out with all the good stuff in November?<p>

Before anyone asks, yes, I am being extremely vague on things concerning Avaraleen for reasons known only to me. As for who, or what the Kasha-Deem are, I will explain it later, just not now.

However, I do need your help: I need names for Avaraleen's two new Sheikah guards. They are twins and will be slightly important later on, but the names I have for them right now are not all that good and I rather not use them, so if you could leave me your ideas in a review or send me a message, that would be great. The more, the better, but don't be discouraged if I don't use the names you gave me just for these two: I might use them for other characters that I have yet to introduce. There's quite a few of those.

Anyways, this is about the time I make some obscure reference to some random Zelda character while asking you all to please leave a review before signing off, but this time I'm just going to**-**cell phone rings, answers**** Hello?...Hey, what's up?...Oh, really?...Well it's about time. When is it?...Uh-huh…Yep…yeah, I hear ya…Ok, see you there! ****hangs up**** Well, I gotta go help set up a blind date between Kafei and Anju tonight. Seriously, it's about time those two started going out. So, until next time then, dragoness of storm, out! See ya!


	11. Double Duel

Special thanks to SamuraiSal1, Omnis Law, and CrimsonLaurana for the usual. Now on with the good stuff!

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><p><em>Oh crap, I'm so dead.<em> Link stood half-hidden in a corner on the far side of the practice court reserved for the knights as the king strolled casually through the main entrance. Lord Dotour walked beside him with a scowl etched deep in his face, but Link was not paying attention to the two nobles. Instead, he was more focused on the looming figure of Ichor du Ikana that was behind them. The man was huge.

"Avoid locking body-to-body if you can," Avaraleen murmured in his ear.

Link glanced at where she stood slightly behind him. The two Sheikah guards flanked her sides "What?" he muttered, still watching Ichor.

"Ichor's taller than you and his sword is longer." She pointed at Ichor's weaponry. "Do what I did during our sparring sessions and get inside his reach in order to strike, but back off quick before he does or he will knock you out with one stroke. If the two of you lock blades, disengage immediately and back off. You're no match for him in pure strength."

"Have any more advice?" he asked hopefully.

"His equipment is large, so it should slow him down. He's also right-handed, and most likely has never fought a left-handed person. You can use that to your advantage especially if you can catch him off guard. Move fast and deflect more than defend. Keep your distance; let him come to you. Make him do most of the work to conserve your energy in case this turns out to be a long fight."

"Anything else?"

"Don't forget to duck."

Link stared at her. "Come again? Don't forget to what?"

Avaraleen raised an eyebrow. "Duck. If he does a sideways swing at your head, duck. It's not worth a broken arm to even attempt to block or deflect."

Her amount of knowledge of Ichor stunned him. "How do you know so much about someone you've only know for a day?" Link demanded.

Avaraleen shrugged. "I've learned to size up opponents quickly. I've never met Ichor, but I have fought men like him before." She grimaced. "That's how I know about the broken arm bit."

"I'll keep that in mind." Link looked over to where the king and Lord Dotour stood talking among themselves. "I wish they would just hurry up."

Glancing over to them herself, Avaraleen growled a curse. "Men. If only you spent so much time actually doing something as you do talking, things wouldn't take so long." She looked over at her Sheikah guards. "Hey! Shadows One and Two, you really think that you can handle the Interlopers?"

The one on her right stirred. "We would not come if we did not believe we could handle them," he said with a hint of anger. "We would prefer that you did not doubt our abilities, Sorceress."

"Have you even fought an Interloper? One of the higher ones, not the lower scum that that are everywhere? Hmm?" Avaraleen rolled her eyes when both of them gave a quick glance to the ground. "I didn't think so since both of you were too junior to be sent on missions that involved them. Get in the ring." She raised her eyebrows at their hesitation. "Now!"

The twin Sheikah looked at each other and gave identical shrugs before following her orders. Link caught her arm before she went into the ring herself. "What are you doing?" he hissed.

She smiled at him. "I want to know how they can handle Interlopers, and the only way to test my new guards is to do it myself. Who better to test them than one who knew our enemy well?" She gave him a sly look. "Why? Are you worried about them hurting me?"

"No." Link squeezed her arm gently. "I'm worried about how Ivan will react to you sparring with the men who are meant to protect you."

"I won't hurt them if that is what you are thinking." Avaraleen pulled free of his grip. "I alone know what Zamur is capable of." Her eyes took on a distant look. "If they wish to protect me, then they must know their enemy first." She pushed past him and jumped the fence surrounding the ring.

Link walked up to the fence along with everyone else with a strong sense of foreboding. This was going to be an interesting fight if that look was anything to go on, but he felt as though he would need to be ready to intervene just in case things went wrong. Already those around the fence were placing bets on the outcome, with the odds at two-to-one odds against Avaraleen. The Sheikah already had their short blades at the ready as Avaraleen went to stand in between them, unsheathing her own two blades as she moved. "Ok boys," she said firmly. "Let's see how far the standard has fallen."

If the words were intended to enrage the Sheikah, they worked. Both charged at her at the same time with blinding speed, one swinging for her head while the other aimed low. Avaraleen waited until they were almost on to her before turning just as swiftly as the twin Sheikah were moving to catch the high strike with one blade behind her while sweeping the other low to deflect the one aimed at her feet. Still turning, she brought the blade she had used for the high block forward and smacked the Sheikah who had aimed low hard on the head with the flat of the blade. The Sheikah stumbled and fell to the ground, allowing her to return her attention to the other one behind her, who was coming in with a side strike. Avaraleen batted the blade aside as easily as she would a low hanging branch with one blade and swept up the other to the base of the Sheikah's neck.

"I see the standard has fallen quite far," she said clearly, contempt in her voice. "Or is this the way you teach the men, Ivan? The women are more of a challenge." Link looked at the fence on the other side, shocked to see the elder Sheikah leaning against it with a causal expression on his face. Next to him, Navarra shook her head with disappointment clear on her face as she collected several rupees from those around her.

Ivan shrugged. "They are not used to fighting women at their rank," he replied calmly. Directing his attention to the two Sheikah he said, "Do not hold back. Let her see how you earned your status. Do what is necessary, not what is easy."

The twin Sheikah traded similar expressions with each other, seemingly unsure of what to make of it. Avaraleen raised an eyebrow at them. "What?" she demanded. "I thought your rank didn't put too much stock in swords. Surely those things are for more than just decoration." She pointed at the coiled chain they both wore on their sashes.

"They are meant to kill, Sorceress," said one as he stepped back from Avaraleen's blade while his brother pushed himself back to his feet.

She sighed. "And I would be one sad traveler if I had not survived my share of unusual fights, with all different sorts of weapons. I know exactly what weapons you both have on you right now."

She allowed them to regain their both their swords and their former positions, but Link noticed something different about both of them; neither of them had retrieved their blades. Instead the two of them had unhooked their fine chains from their sashes and uncoiled them so they held them slightly taut between their hands. From what Link could tell, the chains were about eight feet long, a considerable length if one were to use it as a whip. Avaraleen showed no surprise at the sight of the chains, for either she had been telling the truth or she was one of the best bluffers Link had ever seen, but her eyes did narrow slightly, as though she was considering what to do next. She twirled her blades forward, then back as the twins took their places.

The three of them stood there for several minutes, completely motionless with the exception of Avaraleen's eyes flicking from one to the other, waiting for one of them to move. It soon became clear that, like always, Avaraleen was not going to be the first one to move, so one of the Sheikah inched forward. She pounced on him with the speed of Farore's Wind, but he matched her speed and deflected her incoming blade easily with the chain he held taut. With the same movement he used to block, he released one end of the chain so it whipped towards her face. Avaraleen yelped and ducked under the chain, freeing her blade with a twist of her wrist, only to find the other one coming after her as well.

The sparring went on for several minutes, with the strength of the blows given and received by all three changing the odds among those betting. Link listened to them only half-heartedly, the odds now favored the twin Sheikah heavily, for his full attention was on what appeared to be a one-sided fight unfolding before him. Avaraleen was faring badly against the Sheikah, which caught Link completely off guard. Never before had she acted this way. The twins were able to attack and defend at the same time, all with that chain they held. A failure to duck on Avaraleen's part revealed the chains' sharp edges as one opened a thin cut on her cheek. Whatever rank the Sheikah twins had, it had to be very high for them to have Avaraleen barely holding her own in there. Link gripped the railing of the fence hard, hoping that they would show enough restraint not to kill her.

The crowd along the fence murmured as Avaraleen managed to force the Sheikah to get on the same side of the field. She backed up into a corner and held up a hand in the universal "wait" signal. The Twins looked at her quizzically, but nodded and took a step back. Avaraleen wasted no time as she sheathed one blade and used the other to cut strip wide strips off the hem of her dress. Sheathing her other blade, she proceeded to wind the strips around her arms, sealing them in place with a dot of blue-violet magic. Then, leaving both her blades in their sheaths, she raised one hand and made a "come and get me gesture" before allowing her hands to drop loosely to her sides as she watched the two Sheikah, causing the crowd around the fence to mutter about this recent turn of events. Link had stopped paying attention to what they were saying some time ago. He was trying to figure out what Avaraleen was planning. Those chains seemed nigh near impossible to dodge, let alone beat, so how in Hyrule was she going to beat them with her bare hands?

His answer came when one of the Sheikah uncoiled his chain to use it fully as a whip. Avaraleen ducked slightly and raised one arm. The cloth around her arm protected her from the chain's sharp edge as it wrapped around her arm. Before the Sheikah on the other end realized what had happened, she gave a great pull, knocking him off balance and forcing him to sprawl on his back much closer to her. Ducking under the lash from the other one, she moved forward and placed a booted foot on the first one's chest to prevent him from rising. The second Sheikah decided to take a bit more cautious approach, but it seemed Avaraleen's plan involved her getting control of one of the chains, for she never dropped the one she held. Instead, she unwrapped part of it from her arm and, pulling it taut between her hands, used it to tangle up yet another lash from the second. In a series of quick movements Link would've loved to know, she pulled the second closer to her and wrapped his own chain around his neck.

"And this is why you should not be so hasty to rush your opponents," she said clearly. She released them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders as she softly spoke a few more lines in the Sheikah language. Whatever she said seemed to hearten them, as their shoulders and heads lifted slightly, and judging from her tone of voice, she was pleased with their performance.

Link shook his head at her as she walked back to the fence with a slight smile, unwinding the strips around her arms as she came. "Sometimes I think you are insane," he said.

She raised an eyebrow as she hopped up to sit on top of the fence beside him. "There are many people who would think I am," she replied.

"Why am I not surprised?" he murmured, rolling his eyes.

Avaraleen merely shook her own head, grinning. "At least now I know their capable. Too few people use any type of whip, and those that do know, or at least should know, how one can be turned against them." She sighed and rubbed her lower back. "Din's Fire, I forgot how much I hate those things."

"What things?" Link asked in an undertone. The Sheikah were walking back towards them now.

"The chains. They are a pain when they're suddenly turned against you, which makes them the favorite weapon of the Kasha-Deem." She gave him a side-long glance. "Don't tell anyone about them, though. Those things are meant to be secret."

"How secret?"

"Usually only those of the Kasha-Deem know of them since they use them. The only time anyone from outside has noticed them, they're being killed with it."

"That is one way to put it, Sorceress." The Sheikah twins had joined them now, rubbing various parts of their bodies. Link had some sympathy for them; Avaraleen was not one to soften her blows for anyone.

Avaraleen rolled her eyes. "It's true, so don't you two dare deny it. I knew members from both sides, and I never knew about it until I was caught in between a Kasha-Deem and his target in the middle of a bar fight several years ago." Catching all three of them looking at her, she shrugged. "I was just having dinner with a few friends when the fight broke out. I caught sight of the chain when the Kasha-Deem was making for his target and I was on my way out the door."

"Was this one a friend of yours?" one of the twins asked.

She shook her head. "My friends at this time were all a part of the criminal underground. I was actually avoiding the Sheikah at this time. Anyways, enough about me." She turned to where the king and Lord Dotour stood at the fence with Ichor behind them. "So, I hear that this Ichor has fought the Interlopers," she called out to them.

"He is not called the champion of Termina for nothing, as he defeated the sorceress known as Majora," Lord Dotour sneered. "Though I cannot see why your so-called _Hero_ has claim to such a title. What was the Interloper sorcerer, a novice? He had to be for a mere boy to defeat him."

All the Hylians around the fence growled as they heard the ambassador. Link felt his shoulders stiffen. Although he really did not claim the title the people gave him, never before had anyone belittle what he had done. Obviously the news of Karamus's death had not reached Termina, or no one over there had believed it. His dislike for the ambassador deepened several notches and he started towards Lord Dotour, but Avaraleen stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Majora was known to me," she replied with a nod. "She was one of Karamus's consorts. His favorite, to be exact. Ah, I see that you know of Karamus." She smiled at Dotour's frightened expression. "I'll have you know that Link, our so-called Hero, was the one to kill the master sorcerer several months ago."

"Is that so?" Dotour demanded of the king.

Daphne shrugged with a knowing smile on his face. "Why do you not ask him yourself?" he said pleasantly.

Link steeled himself as he faced the ambassador. "What the Sorceress says is true. I did indeed face and kill Karamus," he said before the nobleman could ask. "It cost the lives of many good men, several I considered as my brothers." He purposely failed to mention his little encounter with Zamur at the mountain, as it seemed to be better for as few people as possible to know that he had actually gone up against the sorcerer, and failed. Also, his mission to claim the Master Sword was still considered secret as far as he knew. "In the end, he was dead, and I'm still here."

"But you only fought one," Ichor du Ikana said in a voice that sounded like gravel. "I have defeated several strong Interlopers."

Link glanced at Avaraleen. "Should I mention the King Dodongo, the Gohma Queen, and the big fish?" he whispered.

She shook her head. "If no one else knows about them, don't mention them, otherwise everyone will think you're begging for attention."

Just at that moment, a shrill voice rang out. "He killed a Queen Gohma!" Tamara shouted. Everyone turned to the little Kokiri sitting off to the side who just shrugged. At the sudden attention "It's true. I saw it myself," she said and pointed to Avaraleen. "The Sorceress was there was well."

Link felt the sudden urge to grab his forehead as the attention shifted to him. Keeping both hands on the rail in front of him, he ducked his head as turned towards Avaraleen. "What did you say about not mentioning things?" he hissed.

"That you never mention them," she hissed back. "It's always better to have someone else to do it." Raising her voice so everyone could hear, she said, "Yes, he did indeed destroy a Queen Gohma. I was a little busy with the Bobokins accompanying it, but I was able to see most of the fight."

"He also destroyed a King Dodongo at the top of Death Mountain," Daren boomed from the other side of the court. "We Gorons didn't even know it was there when he was defeated."

Link felt his head sink lower. _Please tell me that the Zoras didn't know about the fish_, he pleaded silently. _This is bad enough._

"Hmm, the champion of Termina, who has fought several Interlopers, and the Hero of Hyrule, the one who defeated one Interloper and two different monsters, both in the same place," Navarra mused out loud. "I wonder which one would win in a fair duel." She looked over at Avaraleen and smiled. "What do you think, Sorceress?"

One side of Avaraleen's mouth curled into a wry half-smile. "Usually my money would be on the big one," she said slowly as she leaned sideways on the fence, "but I think this time I would think that Link would win." Link shot a glance at her. The way the two of them spoke made him think that they had this rehearsed or something like that. Were they trying to provoke Ichor into challenging him?

"You say that you still lack evidence of continuing the allegiance between Hyrule and Termina," Daphne said. Link looked up to see the king with a calculating expression. "Perhaps we should have a demonstration of the character of a man who will risk everything to save his kingdom. Let there be a duel between your champion and our Hero. If your champion wins, then you were right to say that Hyrule is weak, but if our Hero wins, then the alliance will remain. What do you say to that, Lord Dotour?"

The ambassador tapped his fingers against the fence for a moment before nodding. "I believe that will do," he said indifferently. Turning to Ichor, he asked, "What do think?"

The large warrior shrugged as he examined Link. "He is but a boy. He will be no problem." Drawing his sword, he entered the ring.

Without even bothering to look at the king, Link jumped the fence and made to draw the Master Sword, but Avaraleen grabbed his wrist. "Remember what I said," she whispered. "Don't let him get too close." Link nodded and drew the Master Sword along with the metal shield he had drawn from the castle armory before walking over to the center of the ring.

It was here that he was able to see just how tall Ichor was. Link was by no means short, but Termina's champion was head and shoulders above him. He swallowed; this was going to be a challenging duel. Thankfully Ichor didn't use magic, or he would have been running out the castle gates as fast as he could, with or without Avaraleen's confidence in him. Or at least he thought he would. Something told him that he was perfectly capable of taking on a huge swordsman who could also use magic.

At least he had changed into the green tunic that the Kokiri had given him earlier and wore his newly repaired light chain mail underneath of it. Though it was not by any means the best of armor, both allow him maximum speed and flexibility while offering some protection. If he was going to avoid killing himself, he needed every advantage he could get. Ichor had the advantage of height, weight, and reach, and the shield he used was broad and made out of dense wood (not to mention that his sword was almost as long as Link was tall), but if Avaraleen was right, all of the heavy equipment would slow him down.

_Here goes nothing_, Link thought as he took the ready stance in front of Ichor. He was aware of everyone watching him, but he was able to ignore all of them except for one pair of eyes. Or were there more? He couldn't tell, not without looking around, but now was not the time to think about that. Ichor stood before him with his sword at the ready. The two of them watched each other for a moment, sizing each other up. Link wanted to make the first move (not to mention that the waiting was getting on his nerves), but he decided to stick to Avaraleen's advice and let Ichor start the duel. He instead remained right where he was, waiting for the Terminan to strike.

Ichor finally grew tired of standing still and swept his sword up in an upwards sweep. The blow would've cleaved Link from naval to nose had he not stepped forward and to the side. Allowing his shield to remain limp at his side, he came in with a side slash that Ichor easily jumped away from and retaliated with a side swing of his own. Link ducked under the blade and dived forward, tucking his body into a roll to put some distance between him and Ichor.

Link rose to his feet the same time Ichor turned to face him. The larger warrior now paced a few steps in front of him, seeming wary of the Hylian. Link watched him closely. For once, Avaraleen was wrong; Ichor's heavy weaponry did little to slow him down. He was almost as fast as Link, but not as flexible. A closer look revealed that the armor Ichor wore under his tunic was banded steel, not chain mail. It offered better protection and was cheaper and easier to repair than chain mail, but was easily damaged and often limited mobility. It was the reason why many expert swordsmen preferred the more expensive armor that offered more freedom of movement. It was a small advantage, but it was one Link was going to take full advantage of.

Once more, he waited for Ichor to make the first move. After a few seconds of pacing, the Terminan came in with an overhand swing. Link executed a perfect back flip to avoid the downward swing blade. Once back on his feet, he jumped forward with the Master Sword in both hands in a downward swing. Ichor stumbled back from the unexpected move leaving a small opening that Link took advantage of. He stabbed forward, forcing Ichor back. The Terminan blocked his next swing with his shield and countered with a swing of his own. Link raised his own shield to block the strike before it landed.

Someone shout "Don't!" just as the sword connected with his shield. The power behind the blow knocked him onto his back several feet away. All the air in his body left his body the moment he hit the ground. Link winced and pushed himself up. His entire right arm was numb from the impact and he mentally kicked himself. Avaraleen had warned him about attempting to block Ichor's blows, and now he had a numb arm as a reminder why. He backed off while flexing his arm, trying to put some distance between himself and Ichor. The numbness faded slowly, only to be replaced with a deep ache that went all the way to the bone that made him feel like swearing every time he move it. It didn't feel broken, but the pain made him think that it was worse than just a bruise.

_Crap, I gotta end this fight soon!_ Link settled himself into a position that he knew he could easily doge any incoming attacks_. Ok, Avaraleen said that I had to get inside his guard if I'm going to have a chance of winning this thing._ He waited, semi-crouched, for Ichor to move again. The Terminan seemed a little over-confident at the ease of breaking past Link's defenses, and so he came in with a somewhat lazy overhand swing. Link stepped forward and made to deflect the heavy sword so he could get in some blows of his own, but Ichor twisted his blade at the last moment and locked the cross-guards of both of their swords together.

Ichor grinned as he leaned forward, bringing his full weight of his superior height to bear down on Link. The Hylian grunted as he struggled to stay on his feet, but his legs were shaking from the strain and his shoulders were beginning to scream in protest at the effort, and there was the small issue of his back not liking the fact that he was slowly bending backwards. He could only hold off the larger man for so long and he was quickly reaching his limits. "Link, get out of there!" He could here Avaraleen swearing in Sheikah from the sidelines and realized that she was the one who had shouted in the earlier. "You have to disengage, Link! Disengage now!"

Unfortunately, there was no way he could. Ichor's weight had firmly locked the two blades together. Even if Link quickly dropped to his knees (which would be a last ditch attempt), the blades would still be trapped until Ichor pulled his away. He was at the mercy of the other swordsman, or at least, that was what his mind was saying because his body was saying something completely different. It took him only a second before he realized the entire situation; the pressure was concentrated slightly on his left side, his stronger side. _Wait a minute; I'm only stuck if he was also left handed! I just need to push him back a bit and I can get out of this mess!_ Now knowing what he had to do, Link grasped the hilt of the Master Sword with both hands, dug his heels in, and shoved back hard.

There was no way he could push back the larger man far, but there was enough force behind the push to knock Ichor slightly off-balanced, which was the idea. The pressure on the two swords lessened a bit, allowing Link to twist to the left and away from Ichor's sword. Still turning, he went stepped behind Ichor's back and stabbed at his right side. As his shield was on his left, the Terminan had to use his sword to deflect the blow, but the attempt was weak. Link knew he had him off-guard, but now was not the time to dwell upon it. He had to move fast or his chance would be lost.

An idea popped into his head, and he acted without any hesitation. Swinging his shield around, he slammed it into Ichor's side. The metal shield did barely anything more than knock the wind out of the larger man (and cause Link arm to feel as though it was on fire), but it was still a distraction that Link could take advantage of. He stabbed again at Ichor's right side, causing the larger man to shy away from the bright steel, but Link followed him. Moving the Master Sword in a circular movement, he knocked Ichor's sword to the ground and flicked the point of the Master Sword to the hollow of Ichor's throat. Termina's champion gulped as the cold steel pricked his neck and he was breathing heavily. Link felt himself close to gasping for air, but he focused on not letting the sword point slip from where he had it. He just wanted to show that he had beaten the larger man, not kill him.

"Well, I think we have a winner." Avaraleen came into Link's field of vision and gently pushed the sword away from Ichor's neck and towards the ground. "Albeit a hard-headed one. Oh, will you stop it? I won't hurt you," She snapped at Ichor, who was looking slightly apprehensive (not to mention a little out of breath) as he backed up a few steps at her sudden appearance, before putting one hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow while looking over at where the king and Lord Dotour stood along the fence. "What do you two think?"

"I believe our Hero has won the duel," Daphne said with a smile. "So, it would appear that the alliance will remain."

Lord Dotour scowled. "It would appear so," he grumbled darkly. "The alliance remains."

"Good." Avaraleen turned to Link and pointed to a spot behind him. "Back to the fence you."

Link grimaced as he complied; it seemed as though every part of his body hurt, especially his right arm. Behind him, he could hear Avaraleen muttering behind him, and by her tone of voice, she was not happy with him. The fact was further proven by the apologetic looks on the faces of the Sheikah twins. _Oh, I'm in so much trouble_. When he reached the fence, Link slowly sheathed the Master Sword to put off having to turn around, which only seemed to enrage her further as a small hand grabbed his shoulder and roughly turned him around only to slam his already sore back into the fence.

"Honestly, were you trying to kill yourself?" she growled as she roughly pulled off his shield. He winced (he couldn't help it), but it only made her scowl darker. "I told you not to even attempt to block him, you idiot! What were you thinking?" Removing his right gauntlet, she proceed to roll up his sleeve to reveal a nasty purplish bruise discoloring his entire forearm that even made the Sheikah twins wince. She tapped a finger against the center of it and, ignoring Link's painful hiss, lightly squeezed his entire forearm. "Flex your hand," she ordered, and Link obeyed, wincing as he did so. He looked towards the ground, avoiding her gaze as he prepared for the lecture that he knew was coming.

She nodded in approval as everything seemed to be working. "Nothing broken, so you'll be fine." She grabbed his chin and lifted his face to her own. "You got off lightly this time. He could have killed you." Her face softened a little as she gave him a slight smile. "But you did well. You won't find a giant like him very often, and I think you would like to know that the shield bashing was a little more effective than he let you think."

Link perked up a little at this. "What do you mean?"

"Look over my left shoulder." He did so and saw Ichor grimacing as a servant removed his armor. The bands of steel were smashed together, creating a rigid sheet of metal instead what was supposed to be flexible armor. "The force of the blow crushed the bands together, restricting his breathing and probably giving him a massive bruise," Avaraleen explained. "I'd keep that tactic in mind if I was you. It looked like it might come in handy."

"I will," Link said as he pulled his gauntlet back on his hand. Something as simple as slamming his shield into a large opponent was not something he'd easily forget.

"Oh, you listen to me this time?" Avaraleen replied incredulously, raising both of her hands in mock surprise.

Link rolled his eyes. "Yes, I will, since you've saved my life twice now."

Avaraleen glared at him. "You better, or next time I won't be so-what is it?" she demanded of one of the Sheikah, who had snapped his fingers to get her attention. He pointed to a spot behind her while his brother moved down the fence a bit, as though to flank the source of the heavy footsteps coming their way. Link looked around to see Ichor approaching them and felt his hand travel halfway up to the hilt of his sword.

Ichor stopped a few feet away. "That was a good duel," he said slowly to Link. "I have not fought anyone like you before."

Link shrugged, unsure of what to say. "I'm just what I can to survive," he finally mumbled.

Ichor let out a short bark of laughter. "You are a rare person, Hero. Are you so modest with all of your conquests?"

"Actually, he tries to deny them." The two of them turned to face Avaraleen, who was now leaning against the fence, fingers tapping the top rail. "From what I hear, a certain general attempted to steal all the credit from him and Link almost let him have it, but the general in question was not liked by anyone, so the real story got out."

"And I have been plagued with it ever since," Link muttered darkly, before looking at Avaraleen. "How did you hear about the general?"

"The same way I hear about everything else." Avaraleen flashed a satisfied smirk at the two of them. "I'll agree with you Link; I'm surprised that he became general, but, needless to say, our Hero attempts to stay away from those praise him."

Ichor raised an eyebrow at Link. "A rare person indeed. Many would seek to embrace fame of defeating mighty foes while you seek to run away from it."

"Hmm…yes, speaking of mighty foes," Avaraleen said slowly. "Have you heard about the one called Zamur, Ichor?"

Ichor stiffened. "Yes I have. He was not in Termina, but his reputation was. An evil one, that." His face darkened. "Is he here?"

"He's somewhere in Hyrule, yes, but we don't know exactly where." Avaraleen crossed her arms and scowled off to the side, but Link had a feeling this was all an act to have Ichor do what she wanted.

Ichor shifted his weight back a bit. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked cautiously.

"How would you like to join in the hunt for him?" Link was set back a little by her forwardness. Why was she being so open about it? And why was she calling the quest a hunt?

"Hunt? What hunt?" Ichor seemed a little confused. "I was not aware of such a thing."

"Because it's something that a certain group of people don't want to get out to the public," Link said before Avaraleen could say anything. "You see, the people don't know about Zamur yet, but it's only a matter of time before everyone hears about what happened yesterday."

"And you both are a part of that group," Ichor said slowly, and both of them nodded. "But I still do not understand why you are telling me this."

"We need your help," Avaraleen said simply. "You and Link are the only ones who have successfully defeated the higher Interlopers. Now I have an idea where some of his lackeys might be, and hopefully they'll point you in the right direction." She tilted her head to one side. "So what do you say?"

Ichor crossed his arms, apparently deep in thought, before he nodded. "Majora caused great ruin in Termina," he growled. "I will do whatever I have to prevent her master from doing the same. You have my word."

Link released a breath he had not know he had been holding. He would not be going alone into the temples, but a thought crossed his mind: was it a good idea to lie to Ichor? Or did Avaraleen know something that she wasn't telling anyone else? She had a certain look in her eyes that said as much, but she only nodded. "Alright then, if you would mind meeting me in the entrance hall of the castle at, let's say, around eight. There's someone I want both of you to meet. He's a friend and a very good person to know."

"What's the catch?" Link asked. He raised an eyebrow at her when she frowned. "With you there's always a catch."

Avaraleen sighed and pushed an errant strand of hair away from her face. "The only way any of you'll be able to talk to him is for you to go to down the alley between Knight's Lane and King's Strut."

"The Domain," Link breathed. Catching Ichor's confused look, he explained, "The Domain is the poorest district in Market Town."

"It is also the place where thieves gather." Link turned around and felt his jaw drop. Behind him stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She wore just a simple violet dress with a gold chain belt, but with her golden hair and bright cerulean eyes, she had to be a nobleman's daughter. Out of the corner of his eye, he could tell that Ichor was stunned as well, and the Sheikah twins were now at attention.

Avaraleen, on the other hand, was far from off-balanced. "Thieves often have the best information, Princess Zelda," she said with a slight bow. "However, my friend there is not a thief, merely a merchant of valuable information."

Link closed his mouth as he followed Avaraleen's example and bowed to the sole heir of Hyrule. Princess Zelda was not normally seen by the public without some kind of formal occasion going on. Link had only seen her once, at a distance, during the king's speech declaring the war was over, but now that he was closer to her, he felt as though they had met before, as though he had known her sometime in the past…

"But then why is your friend located in the Domain?" the princess asked. "Surely he would do better to be found somewhere else."

"There are those who he would rather not deal with, and none of them would dare set foot in the Domain" Avaraleen replied sharply. "Not to mention that lodging is cheaper there."

"Ah." Princess Zelda nodded as she turned to Link. "I have not had the opportunity to personally thank you for saving Hyrule, Sir Link."

Link felt his cheeks flush as he looked toward the ground. "I'm no knight, Your Highness," he mumbled. "I'm just a reckless boy who had some common sense beaten into him before I killed myself."

The princess laughed. "Such modesty! It must be a trait of all the Heroes as I recall reading as such with the Hero before. Tell me, aside from your appointment later tonight, do any of you have any other arrangements today?" Link shook his head along with everyone else. "Well then, will you give me the honor of joining me for lunch? I would love to hear the tales of the Heroes of two different lands."

Although he really did not want to be telling anyone (especially the princess) what all he had done, he knew there was no way out of this. Bowing again, he said, "I would be honored to do so." Ichor nodded his agreement, but Avaraleen sighed.

"I would love to," she said slowly, "but I'm afraid that my duel and…recent events have taken a bit more out of me than I had expected, so I will be retiring to my room." She glanced behind her at the Sheikah twins. "You two coming or staying?"

"Our orders were to remain with you at all times, Sorceress," one of them said.

Avaraleen rolled her eyes and growled something under her breath. "Fine, but you are _not_ coming into my room. You can go as far as the living room and that's it!" She looked over at Link and Ichor. "Remember, the entrance hall at eight, and bring a hooded cloak. I want to draw as less as attention as possible."

Link nodded and she left. One of the Sheikah followed her while the other remained, shaking his head. "Hero, Champion, heed my advice: be on your guard around her," he said slowly. "There is more to her than she is willing to say."

"She's half-Sheikah," Link said, rolling his eyes. He felt more at ease talking to him than the princess. "All of you know more than you are willing to say."

The Sheikah gave a wry half-smile. "To outsiders we have many secrets, but there are no secrets among the Sheikah."

"That's Dodongo dung and you know it!" Avaraleen shouted from the other side of the court. "Din's Fire, you out of all people should know that the council keeps certain secrets away from the rest of you!" She glared at him before leaving the practice court, the Sheikah behind her following nervously.

Link glared at the other Sheikah twin. "When she snaps at you, don't come to me. You just had to say that where she could hear you."

The Sheikah ducked his head with a grimaced. "I didn't think she could from all the way over there." He glanced at Link. "Will she be angry with me?"

Link could only give him a shrug. "She seems more annoyed than angry, but she is a redhead after all."

The Sheikah groaned in misery. "And that is what frightens me." He sighed. "I better get up there before things get worse. Farore, why did you have to give women the more fearsome tempers?" With that, he threw a Deku nut to the ground and disappeared with the bright flash.

Ichor grumbled as he blinked several times. "Do they always do that?" he demanded.

Princess Zelda, who had reflexively shielded her eyes along with Link, replied, "Only when they want to get somewhere in a hurry and do not want anyone to know how they do it."

"But it does get annoying after a while," Link added. "Thank Nayru that Avaraleen hasn't done that yet or I would be throwing her out the window."

Princess Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Link thought for a moment, then shook his head. "On second thought, no, I'd rather throw myself out. It would be safer."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: What? You are reading this when Skyward Sword is out? What are you thinking? Either you are taking a break from it, or you are like me and have to wait for Christmas to get your hands on it. Yes, I am so flat broke, I have to wait over a month to play it. . Ah well, I guess I'll have to rely on online walkthroughs to survive, but if you want to tell me your experiences in it, go on ahead! I'd love to hear them. (Particularly tips on how <em>not<em> to die! I have slight a problem with that!)

But enough about me. As I said in the last chapter, I REALLY need names for my Sheikah twins, and I need them for the next chapter, so PLEASE give some names, or I will have to use the ones I have now, which are completely terrible and non-epic. PLEASE! I really don't want to use anything like Groose. ****angry sigh**** How I would love to dump a bucket of water on that thing of his, that…that pompadour. It's uggg-lee!

That's all for now, so until next time, dragoness of storm, out! See ya!

**REVISON NOTE: **My plans for the Kasha-Deem changed a bit down the road, so I had to completely rewrite the fight scene between Avaraleen and the Sheikah Twins. Hopefully for the better.


	12. The Crow's Nest

Ahh! It's been so long, but thanks to: SamuraiSal1, scizorstrike, crazyemeralddragons, radar1942, Farli30519, the Twilight's Shad0w, TwiliRupee, Johnny Spectre, Riku Uzumaki, and Nianque for everything that my email told me and thank you, anonymous reader, for everything you did that email doesn't tell me!

I know I've been gone of almost two months, but I will explain later. For now, one with the story!

* * *

><p>Lunch with the Princess was nothing short of torture. Link and Ichor were the only men in attendance with five of Zelda's extremely giggly ladies-in-waiting filling out the rest of the group. Although the meal was better than anything he had had before, Link would've preferred eating at the soldiers' mess where at least he wouldn't have to parry verbal questions of things he rather wouldn't talk about. All six women wanted to know the exact details of what all he had gone through during the war, but, to be honest; Link didn't feel like they needed to know. These simple-minded noblewomen wouldn't be able to understand what all he had done.<p>

Ichor was a little more talkative about his adventures, even though the huge warrior seemed uncomfortable in this situation. Apparently Ichor was the youngest son of a powerful family in charge of a hostile canyon and he saw defeating the Interlopers as a chance to gain an honor that his brothers had not been able to. He regaled them with a tale of him tracking down a particular sorcerer by the name of Terric, who had first been thought of as the leader of the Interlopers who had invaded Termina. Terric was Majora's lieutenant and the one Majora had worked her power through to fool everyone into thinking he was in charge. Only when Ichor had killed Terric at a place called Stone Tower Temple did Majora finally reveal herself at the capital, Clock Town, which also served as the location for their final battle.

The ladies seemed to have forgotten about Link by then as Ichor described how the Interloper Sorceress (who was fond of wearing an odd heart-shaped mask for some reason that Ichor could not find out) had first tried to defeat him through illusions that made him think that he was in a sunny meadow with a large tree as the central landmark. When Ichor had proven that he could not be fooled by her tricks was the moment Majora attacked using two long whips. According to Ichor, the whips were as hard as steel and Majora was a cunning fighter, which made it challenging for him to get close enough to deliver the final blow. He eventually had to step on one of the whips to pin it on the ground before he was close enough to finish her.

In his own opinion, Link thought Ichor exaggerated on several points, but as long as it was the Terminan doing all the talking, that was fine with him. By the sound of things, Ichor had been on his own the entire time, so only he knew the details. Link, on the other hand, didn't feel like talking about his squad to a group of noblewomen. He had a feeling that they wouldn't understand some of the things he had done. Besides, Avaraleen's advice said that he should let others do all the bragging, which sounded like a good idea to him.

Lunch thankfully lasted only two hours, but to Link, it was an eternity. Afterwards, Ichor vanished to whatever quarters the ambassador had been assigned, leaving Link alone with the options to either return to his rooms where (most likely) an irate Sorceress and two frightened Sheikah were, or join the guardsmen on their patrols of the castle's curtain wall. Seeing how one of his options would include having him dealing with a lot more than he originally had signed up for, he chose the walls. At least there was very little chance that he would be he would be thrown off the wall up there.

"So, how was lunch with the Princess?" Rick asked as Link climbed up the stairs.

Link rolled his eyes. "Does the entire castle know about that?" Rick smirked and raised an eyebrow, which caused Link to groan. "It was torture. She had five of her ladies, FIVE, and all of them wanted to know everything that I had done."

"Was a green-eyed brunette there?" Rick asked. When Link nodded, he winced. "I feel for you, man. That's Lady Adeline, and she is as demanding as they come."

"Well, the Princess was the one asking most of the questions," Link said, "But thankfully Ichor was there and he was more than happy to tell his story." He snorted. " Although that Majora sounded like a real piece of work."

"You still don't like talking about the war?" Rick wanted to know.

Link shook his head. "Everyone has their own experiences about that they don't want anyone to know. Me more than some."

"Yeah, such as dealing with a lovely, but hothead sorceress. By the way, I'm glad that she got rid of that mask; she looks so much better without it." Garret strolled over to join them. Seeing the looks on their faces, he shrugged. "What? I'm just trying to lighten the mood a bit, and change the subject from something other than depressing war stories, because I'm sure no one wants to hear about the time I fell off a cliff on Death Mountain."

All three of them laughed. Garret's story was legendary among the castle guards. As the Army was preoccupied at the wasteland between the desert and Hyrulean border, the castle guard had been drafted to help watch the other borders in case of an attempted invasion from another country. Garret had the unfortunate luck to be on lookout detail at midnight on one of the cliffs when he tripped over a rock right near the edge. He only fell about five feet into a clump of bushes, which was what he told his superiors, but then he tried to change the story he told everyone else so that an eruption had made him fall off a fifty foot cliff into a patch of Bomb Flowers that broke his fall, but he had to escape the area before they blew. Everyone believed him until someone talked to the Gorons and discovered the real story, which led to Garret being the laughingstock of the entire guard for a few months. Still, no one wanted to hear his cliff story again.

"If I can avoid hearing that story again, I'm sure my life will be just fine," Rick said. "Hearing that makes me want to jump off a cliff."

Link chuckled. "You, and everyone else. Though I have a feeling I will beat all of you to that cliff soon."

"What makes you say that?" Garret asked, raising an eyebrow.

"According to the king, the Sorceress, and a few other important people, I'm not done being the Hero." Link leaned against the wall and looked out over Market Town, feeling a frown etched deep on his face. "I can't talk about it, but while I do agree with them, I just wish that they would leave me alone. That fight with Ichor was no picnic."

"Ah, the life of a Hero of Hyrule," Rick said with a grin. "You fight evil sorcerers, duel foreign warriors, dine with fair princesses, and go on mysterious adventures for King and country. What a glorious life for a young farmhand from the borderlands, but alas, he does not want that life."

"I can't imagine anyone wanting my life," Link muttered and Rick patted his shoulder.

"No sane person would," he said, "but it's clear to everyone with half an eye that you were chosen for this for some reason, and some think the Goddesses themselves were involved."

Link snorted. "Now you sound like the Sorceress. What's with everyone and the sudden Goddess talk?"

Rick shrugged. "Hey, that's just me repeating what I've been hearing from the nobles. They're the ones with all this cryptic talk. Them, and some of the folk down in the Domain."

Now it was Link's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Now what were you doing in the Domain?"

"Nothing that would concern you," Rick replied.

"He was having dinner at the Crow's Nest with a couple of very pretty girls a few days ago," Garret said. "The inn's actually fairly good for being in the Domain, and the owner's a decent fellow, if a bit strange at times. The man knows more than he should."

"Just don't try to flirt with the blond serving-maid if you ever go there," Rick grumbled. "She carries a wicked long knife that she knows how to use hidden in her skirt, not to mention that I think she's the owner's daughter, and I think he's had a couple people disappear around him."

"I'll keep that in mind if I ever go there," Link said with a nod, but his mind was reeling. Just a few days ago, Avaraleen had mentioned that she knew a man named Crow who was the center of the thieves' grapevine, and now she wanted both him and Ichor to meet a friend of hers in the Domain. He had a feeling that Avaraleen's friend was the owner of the Crow's Nest, who had to be Crow himself. She was most likely taking him to meet a thief.

_Farore, please, let me survive the night_, he prayed. _And_ _the rest of this suicidal mission as well._

ooo000ooo

"…know we're not allowed in the Domain, Aden! They've have our heads if we go there!"

"I know Arric, but Ivan will have our heads if we don't follow her. Nayru, I hate being caught in between the horns of a dilemma. No matter what we do, we're going to get our rears pricked."

Avaraleen rolled her eyes as she listened to her so-called guards from behind her closed door. What was Ivan thinking when he assigned those boys to her protection? Just because they had obtained one of the highest ranks among the Sheikah didn't mean they were ready for this. They had no experience in all of this. All they knew came from reports from other people who had done the work. Din, they were greener than Link's tunic! If they didn't learn fast, both of them would be killed. Blaknor was only the first Zamur had sent, and she knew for a fact that there would be more coming, and they would not be as easy an adversary as Blaknor.

She shook her head. The boys weren't her problem at the moment. Right now, she was more concerned about Link. She was about to send him into a place that she knew nothing about. Although she would never say it outright, she was worried that she would be sending him in there blind. She knew absolutely nothing about the Forest Temple, and she knew Tamera had only gone as far as the entrance. Hopefully the meeting tonight would give them all some answers. Her friend had never failed her before, but this was something different. Neither of them had been there, and it was only a fool's chance that there was someone who had been there. Still, if there was one, he would know.

But she couldn't go there flanked by a pair of Sheikah. The Domain was off-limits to all the Sheikah due to the simple fact that the place was the only location in Market Town that the Gerudo roamed without oppression from the castle guards. If the Sheikah were ever to go there, there was a high chance that a fight between the races would start that might destroy the town. As she was half-Gerudo and a somewhat Sheikah fugitive, Avaraleen was quite welcomed there, provided that she didn't bring any of the Sheikah with her. Thankfully, there was an easy way for her to get rid of them, at least for one night.

Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out a vial filled with a milky substance and rolled it between her fingers. "Sweet dreams, boys," she breathed in Gerudo. "You might hate me for this, but you'll thank me later. The Domain's no place for you.

"And there are things you are never suppose to know."

ooo000ooo

"Where is she?" Link muttered. It was eight already, and both he and Ichor were waiting for her in the entrance hall as she had asked. Despite what common sense said, Link had the Master Sword slung over his shoulder. He just didn't feel right without its reassuring weight. Ichor was relaxing on a bench in the corner that the two had decided to wait in. They had a good view of many of the entrances of the expansive hall, all of which Link kept a close eye on as he paced in front of Ichor. "She told us to be here, and we're here, so where is she?"

"Relax, young Hero," Ichor said in his deep voice. "The Sorceress will be here soon enough. It is a habit of many women to be late."

Link gave him a look. "And why in Farore's name is that?"

"Because we usually have about a hundred and one things to do." Avaraleen appeared behind him adjusting her black cloak and glancing behind her. "Get your cloaks on. We only have a moment, and Link, for Farore's sake, keep that sword hidden. I want to draw as less of attention as possible."

"Before what?" Link asked as he pulled his brown cloak out of his pouch. Avaraleen was acting rather jumpy and the way she was looking over shoulder made him think that she was being followed. Come to think of it, where were the Sheikah Twins? Weren't they supposed to be following her at all times?

"Let's just say I made a difficult decision easy for a certain pair of people, but I want to get out of here before they can track me." She flipped her cowl up so that it shadowed her face and looked at Ichor. "Nice job on choosing this corner to wait in, but I need you to stand up."

The huge warrior did as she asked with a grumble and she stood up on the bench and started pressing seeming random blocks. "Someone keep a lookout and warn me if you see them coming. They won't be happy with me."

"Do I want to know what you did to them?" Link asked as he scanned what entrances he could see.

"Oh, I might have slipped a little something in their drinks." With her back to him, Link couldn't see her face, but he could tell that she was not sorry for what she had done. "It won't kill them, but it will knock them out long enough for us to get to the Domain, as long as- Aha!" A door opened in the wall, revealing a passageway large enough for one person to pass at a time. Avaraleen lit a lantern she pulled out her pouch and slipped through first.

Ichor leaned towards Link. "Did you know that was there?" he asked in a low growl.

Link shrugged. "There's a lot I don't know, most of it centered around her."

"Are you two coming or what?" Avaraleen asked, the light from the lantern making her red-gold eyes gleam like coals. "As I said, we need to go now."

Link gave Ichor a quick glance before entering the passageway. Once Ichor crossed the threshold, the door closed, leaving them in what would have been complete darkness if Avaraleen hadn't had her lantern out, which she thrusted at Link. "This is for your benefit. Step lively, but stay close to me. It's easy to get lost in this place." She started off down the passageway.

"Shouldn't you have the lantern then?" Link asked as he followed her. Behind him he could hear the heavy footfalls of Ichor.

"Unlike the two of you, I can see in the dark." Avaraleen paused before an intersection and looked both ways before going down the left one. "It is a skill that is passed through the blood of the Sheikah. I highly suggest that you remember that. Most of the Interlopers are members of the Sheikah, and they will use that to their advantage."

"Are you giving us advice now, Sorceress?" Ichor asked.

"This is one of the few places where I know we can speak without fear of being overheard." Avaraleen kept walking, leading them further through the maze of stone. "There is much I want to tell you, but time is something we do not have much of. Zamur has been lying low for months, which means he's up to something, but what, I do not know."

"Then where are you taking us?"

"I have a friend in the Domain who knows far more than anyone thinks he should. Just because Zamur is in hiding does not mean that his lieutenants are as well. They're out there somewhere, and my friend should have an idea of where they may be. If you find the lieutenants and make them talk, they should lead you straight to whatever hole he's hiding in." Avaraleen ducked under a low beam and crouched before a wooden panel, which she rapped twice with her knuckles. The panel opened to reveal an alcove containing one small chest. Inside the chest was a small leather wrapped bundle, which she slipped into her pouch.

"Sorry for the delay, but I promised to give him this several years ago. However, I ran into some difficulties and lost the chance to give it to him. I have a feeling this will help smooth any difficulties he may give us." She closed the alcove and set off again down the passageway at a brisk pace. "Come on, we have about ten minutes before they regain consciousness and about another ten before they can walk straight."

"So what you're saying is that we only have twenty minutes to get to wherever we're going," Link said as he struggled to keep up.

"Just about." She grabbed a corner to execute a sharp turn down a nearly hidden corridor. "Poisons rarely work against the Sheikah, but there are a few that can slow them down, and all of those come from the desert."

"Let me guess, none of them work against you." When Ichor made a questioning noise behind him, Link said, "She's half Gerudo, half Sheikah."

"Tell him all of my secrets, why don't you." The lantern caught Avaraleen's face as she grinned at him. He gulped as the light reflected off her eyes; they were a deeper red than usual. "But yes, you are correct. I am immune to all natural poisons known in Hyrule, much to the despair of quite a few people."

"Why did they try to kill you?" Ichor asked.

"Oh, the usual. I disrupted their plans, I found out something I shouldn't have, I looked at them wrong, take your pick. Most of that happened during the war, so most of the offenders are dead now." She stopped once more, this time at what appeared to be an ancient door. "We're halfway there."

"Good. This place is starting to get a little unnerving." Link glanced at the walls. The enclosed spaces were reminding him uncomfortably of the caverns he had faced the two enormous creatures in.

Avaraleen laughed. "Unnerving though it may be, this is actually the longer, and safer, way around. The shorter route is the one I prefer to use, but I don't think either of you would fancy diving off a tiny ledge into the moat and swimming upriver about half a mile, considering that the ledge is a good thirty above the water." She pushed the door open with a grunt of effort and slipped out while muttering, "Oh, Dodongo dung, was I the last one to use this thing?"

Ichor glanced at Link. "A thirty foot dive? Is she serious?"

Link could only shrug. "Compared to some things I've heard about her, I'm not surprised."

"Are you two coming or what?" Avaraleen demanded quietly from outside. "I would like to get there sometime before next winter!"

Link glanced at Ichor before slipping out of the door. He found himself just outside of the spot where the curtain wall met the natural rocky formation that protected the rear of the castle and was able to see Market Town from across the empty field before him. Avaraleen was almost entirely hidden in the shadows cast by the rocks. If she hadn't whistled to get his attention, Link might have walked right past her. Still, her ability to hide unnerved him.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side," he whispered as he joined her. "You're way too good at hiding."

"I was trained by the best," she hissed back as Ichor joined them. "Okay, boys, hoods on. The fewer people who know exactly who we are, the better. Link, hand me the lantern. The moon will give us enough light to get around. "

Link did as she asked, though he was a little worried about her definition of "enough light". The moon was only a thin sliver, casting barely enough light to gild the surroundings with a faint silver glow when she extinguished the lantern and returned it to her pouch. It was difficult to see anything, let alone one black-cloaked girl moving swiftly through the shadows. Link followed her best he could, with Ichor right behind him, but eventually she grabbed his elbow to lead him along. "Sweet Nayru, do you have any night vision?" she hissed in his ear.

"As far as I know, I don't have any Sheikah ancestors, so my night vision is the same as everyone else's," Link retorted.

"Well, you need to work on that, because at this rate, you'd be dead. Both of you." She released his elbow when the three of them reached the edge of town. This early in the evening, the streets were packed with the townspeople finished with a long day of work.

Avaraleen took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "Stay close to me. You may not see them, but there are guards all around the Domain. When the war began, the guards were doubled, and you two don't exactly look like the normal clientele. They might stop and question us, but I'll get us through. Someone should remember me."

"And if they don't?" Ichor asked as they began to wind their way through crowded streets.

"I'll remind them." She turned down a corner into an alley that many people seemed to be avoiding. Link followed, keeping an eye out for any unwanted attackers. He had the feeling that they were being watched, but he couldn't see anyone. What exactly was Avaraleen thinking when she came up with the idea to take them here?

"That's far enough!" Two men in ragged clothing appeared before them holding crossbows with ease. A glance behind him told Link that another two blocked that way. His hand itched to grab the hilt of the Master Sword, and he could see Ichor standing with his hand on the hilt of his own sword. One of the guards saw the posture and raised his crossbow. "Don't even think about it."

Avaraleen turned and raised a hand. "Stand down, boys. They're with me."

"And you are?" asked the other guard, trying to catch a glimpse of her face under her hood. This one was older than his partner, but he was wary all the same.

"Phoenix. I'm a friend of everyone's favorite of everyone's favorite informant," Avaraleen replied, turning to face the guard. "I know it's been a while, Gerald."

Gerald hesitated for a moment, then his face broke out into a smile. "Quite a few months by my reckoning," he said as he lowered his crossbow. "Alright boys, relax. They can pass."

"But sir!" The younger guard was practically hopping from foot to foot as he swung his crossbow from Link to Ichor and back again. The two behind them had already disappeared when Avaraleen was finished speaking. "How do we know that they aren't with the guard?"

Avaraleen placed a hand on her hip. "He's new, isn't he?" At Gerald's nod, she turned to the younger man. "My word alone is enough to ensure anyone here that they are not with the guard. If you don't believe me, well…" Moving fast, she slammed her elbow to the arm holding the stock. The guard lost his grip on the weapon, allowing Avaraleen to grab it and turn it on its user.

"Talk to the major players here about me when you get off," she said calmly with a smile. "They all know about me and would be more than happy to warn you." Returning the crossbow, she nodded at Gerald and continued down the alley. "Come on, boys."

Link nodded at the guard at he passed him, tugging his hood a little lower. At the end of the alley was another packed street, this one full of Market Town's not-so well-to-do. Patched stalls selling everything from rags to cheap armor lined the street, the hawkers manning them shouting their prices to everyone and anyone listening. A large building at one end of the street had large double doors that were propped open to show several scantily-clad women lounging around smiling alluringly at any man they saw. Thankfully Link had to concentrate on where he was going, giving him an excuse to avert his eyes.

The only decent-looking building was the large inn situated right in the middle. The sign over the main entrance depicted a large and vicious crow standing over an empty nest. Avaraleen was heading straight for it, moving through the crowd like water. Link gritted his teeth as person after person jostled him as though he was wasn't there. He was tempted to rip his hood off and show them who he was (not to mention that it was a little warm for him to be wearing it anyways), but he resisted. He had a feeling that doing so would only cause more problems, so he allowed himself to be pushed around as long as he was headed in the right direction. Once he caught sight of Ichor, the giant using his immense bulk to push through the crowd. Avaraleen, on the other hand, had disappeared among the people.

_Why am I the only one being pushed around?_ Link wondered. _This is ridiculous._ He was finally able to get to the entrance of the inn where the other two waited. "Remind me never to complain about crowds again," he muttered to Avaraleen.

She smiled at him. "This is actually a good thing." Her voice lost a little of its cheerfulness. "You should have seen this place during the war. It was empty, save for the wives of those in the Army, and the only talk was of those who cursed the war and those who started it." Shaking her head, she nodded at the entrance. "But enough of that. Dinner's on me, but I will warn you, the ale's a little strong."

Ichor grunted approvingly. "Good. The ale served at the castle is far too weak for an Ikana."

Avaraleen snorted as she led the way to into the inn. "There's a reason why the ale's strong; men who are drunk are not as cautious with their words as some would like them to be. Oh, and keep your hoods on. I don't want anyone to recognize us."

The interior of the inn's taproom was paneled in a rich dark wood that lent a sense of comfort to the place, but Link could see very little of it as the place was packed with the denizens of the Domain along with a few off-duty soldiers and several members the lesser nobility. He had been a little nervous about wearing his hood indoors, but hidden faces seemed to be the ongoing trend in this place. A long bar ran along one side of the wall, manned by a stout barman who only allowed a few young women in simple black dresses carrying heavy trays to enter the small opening. A trio of minstrels sat in a corner, adding their simple tunes to the already noisy room. Several men in long black coats observed the crowd from where they had already claimed tables near the bar, each walking a red rupee through their fingers with either a set of dice or a pack of cards before them. Some of them already had a few people around them.

"Professional gamblers," Avaraleen whispered, noticing where Link's attention was. "They work for the owner, getting a cut of whatever they win, as well as a bonus for any bit of information they get out of their customers." She made her way over to an empty table near the back and signaled for one of the servers to come over.

"We'll have the large baked rat special and the Domain delight, and please tell me you still have that regular cider," Avaraleen said briskly when the blonde girl arrived. Link and Ichor glanced at each other with apprehensive looks as they sat down. The server hadn't even batted an eyelash as she nodded, which had to mean that she understood, but right now Link was thinking that he should've ate before he came.

"We still have the cider. Would you like the slum stew as well?" she asked. She gave Ichor and Link a wink. "It turned out quite good this time and these boys look quite hungry."

Avaraleen nodded. "That one will be mine. As for drinks, I'll have the cider, he'll have the ale, and," she glanced at Link, "what do you want?"

Link swallowed. "I'll have the cider as well," he said quietly.

The girl nodded. "I'll be back in a bit with the drinks." She walked through the milling crowd with a practiced air, dodging people and tankards with ease. Link watched her go, envious of her ability to pass through a crowd without so much as a simple bump, but there was also a part of him that though she was very pretty. He wondered what her name was.

A hard tap brought him back to earth. "Don't even think about it," Avaraleen said. "Lyka is not your average flirt; she only acts that way to get tips. I personally taught her several ways to…dissuade unwanted men."

Link grimaced. "Point taken. Besides," he took a glance around the room, "a friend of mine warned me not to flirt with the blonde girl, and she's the only one who fits that description."

Ichor grunted. "Blondes are too common and simple. Give me one with raven hair, for they have more strength in them, but less fire than a redhead."

"Why, because our tempers are something to be feared, yes?" Avaraleen asked. She leaned back in her chair, smirking at him. "You got that right; I've seen my sisters make several dents in stone walls with a single punch. Luckily for you, I've learned to keep my temper in check."

"What happened if you don't?" Link asked, still watching Lyka on the other side of the room.

"Let's just say that there is a reason why most sorcerers have their first drink out in the middle of nowhere," she replied, turning her head away with a grimaced. "Some of us tend to cause damage when drunk, and I am one of the ones who causes a lot."

"But what does that have to do with your temper?" Ichor asked.

"Losing my temper has the same effect as me being drunk, hence why I ordered the cider."

Link raised his eyebrow at her (even though she probably couldn't see it under his hood) and opened his mouth to question her further, but at that precise moment, Lyka reappeared with their drinks balanced perfectly on the tray she held with one hand above her head.

"Here you are," she said as she passed out the heavy tankards. "Your food should be ready in a few minutes, but is there anything else I can get you?"

Link and Ichor both shook their heads, but Avaraleen tapped her fingers twice on the table. "Actually there is," she said slowly. "I was wondering if you could tell the owner an old friend's here to see him."

Lyka stiffened. "Which old friend?" she asked slowly. "He has several." The hand that wasn't holding the tray was clenching something hidden within the folds of her skirt.

"Tell him it's Phoenix." Link could see that Avaraleen was also gripping something hidden within her skirt, something that looked a lot like the hilt of one of her blades.

"I don't remember any Phoenix coming through here." Lyka shot a glance towards Link and Ichor. "And those two look quite a bit like royal guards."

"They're the farthest thing from guards, believe me." Link shifted uncomfortably in his chair, not liking where this conversation seemed to be going. Beside him, Ichor appeared to be quite interested in his tankard, which was now three-quarters empty.

"Well, that's the problem; I don't." Lyka took a step back. "And no one gets to see him if unless I say so."

Avaraleen leaned forward. "Well, then you better say so, because I didn't risked the wrath of several important people by showing up here just to have a drink with the boys. We need to talk to him, right now."

Lyka only smiled back coldly. "I'm afraid not. Those allowed to see him are all on a very short list, and you are not on it." She turned to walk away.

"Oh, is that so?" was all Link heard before something flew out of Avaraleen's hand and embedded itself in Lyka's wooden tray. Everyone in the surrounding area went quiet as they watched the small knife quiver back and forth before Lyka pulled it out. She took one look at the hilt and glanced at Avaraleen with wide eyes.

"Tell him I'm here and I need to talk to him now," the Sorceress said in a low voice. "And I want my knife back when you're done."

Lyka nodded and swiftly made her way through crowd to a shadowy door next to the bar. When she disappeared, Avaraleen sighed and drummed her fingers on the table. "Din burn Caleb and his cronies," she hissed as loud conversations struck up once more around the three of them.

"Do I want to know what that was all about?" Link whispered.

"Someone's been trying to impersonate me again," she murmured.

"Again?" Ichor growled. "Who would want to do that? Why would they?"

"There is a group of thieves around here who are…jealous of my access to valuable information." Avaraleen took a deep draft from her tankard. "They think that by impersonating me, they'll be able to get better information on potential targets. What they don't realize is that I've know my friend longer than anyone around here."

"And so, supposedly, you're able to see him with no problem," Link surmised.

Avaraleen nodded. "What I did was a last-ditch effort to prove who that I am the real me. The knife I threw at Lyka has a certain design on the hilt that my friend will recognize at a glance, which means that we should be able to talk to him right about n- Ah, finally!"

Lyka had reappeared from the shadowy door and made her way over to their table, a wary look about her. "Sorry about all that, Phoenix, but those thieves almost got in three days ago. He'll see you now." She glanced at Link and Ichor. "All of you."

Link left his untouched cider on the table as he rose to follow Avaraleen through the murmuring crowd and into the darkened doorway, apprehension gnawing at his stomach. Inside was nothing more than a rough wooden table with three chairs on the opposite side of a fourth. Two large jugs sat on the surface of the table next to a knife stuck point first into the wood. The whole room was lit by a rusty chandelier hanging from a stout wooden beam.

"Uh, are we in the right place?" Link asked, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck tingle. The familiar, but uncomfortable, feeling of being watched was back again, and the darkened atmosphere gave him the strong impression that there certain things said in this room that would never see the light of day again.

"Yep," Avaraleen said as she pulled the knife out of the table. "Well, at least she gave it back, though not in the way I expected." She slipped it back into whatever hidden sheath she had pulled it from and sat down in one of the three chairs. "You better have a seat. Sometimes he has business elsewhere, but he'll be here as soon as he can."

Ichor, who had brought his empty tankard with him, discovered to his delight that there was ale in one of the jugs. He refilled his cup and sat down with a sigh, seemingly content to wait. Link, on the other hand, perched himself nervously on the edge of the final chair and fiddle with the end of the Master Sword that extended to his right side. All of this cloak-and-dagger stuff was driving him to the point that he wanted to dive headfirst into one of the temples he had to go through just to get back to what he did know: hacking and slashing at monsters.

He kept one eye on Avaraleen. The moment she entered the room, she seemed less like the Avaraleen the Sorceress that he somewhat knew. Here, she seemed…different. She still had the defensive air that she always seemed to have around her, but here, in a place where the very walls seemed to breathe forgotten secrets, she seemed more at home than anywhere she had been before. In fact, Link could easily imagine her conversing quietly with some shady figure about some deep dark secret that only a few knew about.

The gentle click of a hidden door opening made Link jump and look around for the source while Ichor sat up straighter, but Avaraleen merely smiled and threw off her hood. "You're not fooling anyone, Crow," she said mockingly.

"Least of all you." A steely voice rasped as a figure moved into the scant light cast by the candles, revealing a slight man who, though obviously well in his sixties, had not lost much of the vigor he had as a younger man. His iron-gray hair had not yet begun recede and the dark eyes that watched from their deep sockets still had steel buried deep within them. This was a man who had seen and known much in his life. "You have rarely been fooled by anyone."

Avaraleen shifted a little. "But there are those who had succeeded in the past," she replied, an edge creeping into her voice. "You know that better than anyone."

The man (who just had to be Crow) sat down in the lone chair across from them and folded his hands before him. "All too true," he said. "So, what can I do for you and your friends today?"

Avaraleen leaned forward now. "What do you know about the Council?"

Link shot her a glance, worried. Was it a good idea to give him even the slightest clue about something that was supposed to be top secret? However Avaraleen looked like she knew what she was doing, so he remained silent.

Crow raised one dark eyebrow. "Only that it's comprised of all most prominent figures from each races, even the Kokiri, and that the Hero is also…_unwillingly_ involved," he said slowly. "They've gathered together to protect something powerful, and somehow they managed to lure you out of hiding to be a part of it."

Link felt his jaw hit the ground. How in Nayru's name did this one man know more about what was supposed to be a secret council than everyone who worked in the entire castle? Just who was this guy?

Avaraleen, on the other hand, was not at all surprised. "Ivan's on it, so that why you don't know more," she said.

Crow nodded in agreement. "I had suspected as much, but why do you ask me what I know if you are privy to all that goes on there?"

"Because I am hoping you might have vital information that should keep these two alive," she said, pointing at both Link and Ichor.

"Ah." Crow leaned back, giving Ichor a glance before fixing his gaze on Link. "Ichor du Ikana, the Champion of Termina, and…Link, formally of the 37th. I'm afraid never got your rank."

"Unofficially, it's apparently 'Hero'," Link mumbled, "but really I never got promoted past private."

"Hmm…So, where is it that the two of you are going that has her coming to me for information?" Crow asked.

"The Forest Temple deep within the Lost Woods," Ichor growled softly.

"WHERE?" Crow leapt to his feet and rounded on Avaraleen. "Why in Nayru's name are they going there? Very few people have ever come out of the Lost Woods alive!"

"Well, you're talking to someone who's lived there for years and Link came out of there alive and in one piece." Avaraleen just sat calmly in her chair as Link tried to not draw attention to himself. He really didn't like where this was going.

"Once," Crow hissed. "And seeing how he went in at the beginning of winter and didn't emerge until spring, I'll say that the creatures there overwhelmed him and you had to intervene to save him."

"He didn't do half bad." Avaraleen had begun tapping her fingers against the table (never a good sign) as she glared daggers at him. "Crow, you know me; I would never send anyone there if I personally didn't think they could survive whatever that place could throw at them."

Crow sighed angrily. "You have a point there." Still glaring at her, he sat back down in his chair. "I've forgotten how much like your father you are."

The tiny shift in Avaraleen's posture was not lost to Link. "You knew him better than me," she said softly. For a moment, she seemed unable to meet anyone's eyes, but then she shook her head. "Anyways, what do you know about the Forest Temple?"

Crow propped his elbows on the table. "Very little, but may I ask why two renowned warriors are going there?"

"Long story short, there is this very powerful object that only surfaces every century or so, but it needs to be protected so that no one can find it unless it's really needed, and the only way I can do that is by first getting pure magic from each of the six temples in Hyrule," Avaraleen said briskly.

Link snapped up at this. "Six? I thought you said there were five?"

Avaraleen gave him a small grin. "One's here in Market Town and open to the public, so you won't have to worry about it."

Link sagged with relief. The fewer temples he had to go through, the better.

"I don't know much about the Forest Temple itself, just that it once was a manor of some lesser nobility whose line died out about thirty years ago and they were foolish enough to build the family seat too close to the forest and were driven out it nearly a century ago." Crow pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Rumors say that they unknowingly set the basement right over an underground cavern where the source of forest magic is."

Link sighed. "Well, it's a start," he said remorsefully. "We find our way to the basement."

"That won't be easy," Avaraleen said. "I remember this family. They, though the line is dead, were masters of illusion. It is said that the manor was built by one of the more cunning members, one that could make a person lose their sense of direction, including what is up and what is down."

"Huh," Link said. "That puts a damper on things."

"At least you tow are forewarned and you'll most likely have a guide to get there." Crow leaned forward and a glint appeared in his eye.

Avaraleen raised an eyebrow. "What do you know?"

"Four women were seen entering the forest two days ago." Crow looked over at Avaraleen. "My source didn't see their faces, but each one had a different colored hood. The colors were red, blue, green, and purple."

There was silence for a moment before Avaraleen bang her fist against the table and swore explosively. Link edged his chair away from her as he asked, "You know them?"

She nodded grimly. "The Cubus Sisters," she snarled.

"Who?" Ichor asked, refilling his tankard yet again.

"Joelle, Beth, Amy, and Meg. Four sisters who joined the Interlopers." Avaraleen rubbed her temples. "They're not much older than you, Link, but they have a nasty habit of playing Dead Man's Volley with anyone who crosses them."

"Dead Man's Volley?" Link asked cautiously. Even the name didn't sound good.

"It is a game, if you can even call it that, that these particular sisters love to play," Crow explained. "The rules are simple: one of them will summon a ball of energy and throw it at you, which you can either dodge or attempt to bat right back at them. The object of this game is essentially for one side to kill the other using only the energy balls."

"And these girls are uncommonly good at it, despite their ages," Avaraleen added. "I've never seen them lose a match, but then again, they do prefer their odds to be four against one, so the two of you should have a decent chance if you ever have to face them."

Link swallowed nervously, but he felt a little surer than before. If he considered these…girls as just another group of monsters, he'll do fine. Monsters he could handle. "What can I use to bat these energy balls back at them?" he asked.

"Anything with a reflective surface," Avaraleen said immediately. "I highly suggest that you use your swords so you can change the ball's trajectory. Another thing, the sisters will pass the ball among themselves to confuse you on which one of you they are targeting, so stay on your toes and use the same tactic against them."

"Let me see if I got this correct," Ichor said, leaning forward so he could look at both Avaraleen and Crow. "Link and I will be travelling to the ruins of a mansion deep in the Lost Woods, where we will find our way to the basement to reach the magic you need, Sorceress, and if we come across any of these Cubus Sisters, we bat their own magic against them until they are destroyed."

Avaraleen nodded. "That's pretty much everything in a nutshell."

"Okay, then." Now Link leaned forward. His confidence still not as high as he wanted it to be, but there was no backing out now and the sooner he got started, the better. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow the two of you stock up on supplies and rest up, because you'll leave at first light the next day." Avaraleen was all business now, Link wouldn't have been surprised if she ordered for someone to go storm some castle next. "Crow, get what information you can about the other for, and before you ask, _I'm_ paying the bill, so don't you dare try to overcharge me."

Crow smiled. "As if I ever tried to do that." A knock at the door drew everyone's attention and Crow stood up. "But now let us abandon such depressing topics and eat!" He opened the door to reveal Lyka bearing a tray laden with a whole roasted Cucco, two bowls of a delicious-smelling stew, and a large loaf of bread. Link remembered what Avaraleen had ordered and glared at the Sorceress in question, who only smiled at him. Once again, she had succeeded in pulling a prank on him, but he was going to get her back later…

However the thought was pushed to the back of his mind thirty-six hours later. Link, Ichor, and Tamera were in the stables, the warriors adjusting the final straps to their mounts as the Kokiri half-dozed against the wall. Both Link and Ichor had taken Avaraleen's advice to heart and had stocked up on everything from bombs and arrows to a basic medical kit each now carried on his belt. Link had told Ichor in confidence about his pouch so the larger warrior wouldn't be shocked to see Link pulling large items out of the small thing. Both had decided to wear minimal armor, Ichor in his heavier banded metal, Link his chainmail and leather, since it seemed that speed was their greatest need.

Link finished tightening the girth on Chaser's saddle and turned to Tamera. "Up you go," he said. Tamera stepped forward and Link gave her a boost into the saddle before leading the stallion out of the stable to the small yard outside. Ichor followed him, leading his massive gray gelding aptly named Steady. According to Ichor, the horse could look at any situation with a calm eye and rarely spook, which was a good thing, considering where they were bound.

Just as he swung himself into the saddle, a shadow detached itself from the stable wall and came up beside Link. "You two better come back alive and in one piece," Avaraleen said, looking from Link to Ichor from underneath her hood. "If you don't, I will personally find you in the afterlife and kill you there." She smiled at them. "In all seriousness though, there is too much at stake for either of you to get yourselves killed from some beginner's mistake. Be on your guard and watch each other's back."

"We will, Sorceress," Ichor said as Link simply nodded.

Avaraleen gave them a stern look. "You better. Now go! Go!" She stepped away from them as both Hero and Champion dug their heels into their mounts' flanks and took off. As they raced down the streets, Link heard her shout, "Farore guard you both!"

_I hope she is,_ Link said silently as he and Ichor raced towards the gate. _We're going to need all the help we can get._

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong> Hi! Did you miss me? I know that I didn't post anything in almost two months, but I had several things come up, such as finals, Christmas, and then this little issue of me finally getting Skyward Sword. For all of you who gave me advice, thank you very much as it did come in handy. So, sorry that I've been gone, but now I'm back and hoping to get on a regular writing schedule.

Anyways, spoiler on the next chapter, we are finally getting into some old-fashioned dungeon crawling. Now the template I'll be using is Ocarina of Time, the old one, not the one for the 3DS. I've heard that the dungeons in the newer version are different, but I will be using the version I'm more familiar with. Also, I will not be describing every room, just those I deem necessary to the story.

Okay, well I think that all for now, so I'm off to the nearest Fairy Fountain to go stock up on some fairies. Going to need those for some cave diving I'm doing with Gorko (why did I agree to help him?) So, until next time, dragoness of storm, out! See ya!


	13. Dead Man's Volley

Thanks to: Ananymous Reviewer, SamuraiSal1, Riku Uzumaki, Dire Heart, Royal9000, zanthian123, zenhan, and Bombidill95 for everything.

Special thanks to OPFFIX on youtube for having a great walkthrough to use for reference even though I hardly used it in the end (check out his channel for several great walkthroughs: right now he's working on Skyward Sword).

And, no, I didn't forget you, anonymous person reading this, but enough of this blathering! On with the story!

* * *

><p>Link ducked under a bright blue ball of what appeared to be lightning and scowled. How in Farore's name did he get stuck in this basement to battle four bloodthirsty Interloper Sisters, alone? This day just kept getting better and better.<p>

Everything had started out with him, Ichor and Tamera entering the Lost Woods through a different log. Here they followed the bouncy music that Link had noticed the first time he had entered the woods, which had led them to what appeared to be a hedge maze infested with Mad Scrubs. Annoying though they were, they were easy to dispatch by bouncing the nuts they spit out right back at them, and the three of them were able to get through the maze, only to find a ladder that they could've used to climb up onto the hedges and cross the place without having to worry about the Scrubs. Ichor had been very displeased about that, but it meant that the return journey would be easier.

The source of the music turned out to be a green-hair Kokiri that Tamera identified as Saria, one the oldest Kokiri who was sitting on a stump in what looked like the front courtyard. Saria nodded to the three of them, but didn't stop playing her ocarina. She did, however, stare intently at Link with piercing blue eyes and didn't look away until he had pulled himself up onto the broken staircase that led into the gaping cavern that was the entrance to the manor.

"Saria doesn't really talk much to anyone," Tamera whispered to Link and Ichor when they were inside. "She was actually wanted to go to the Council in the first place, but the Great Deku Tree wanted her to stay here because she knows more about this place than anyone else." She smiled ruefully. "Including me."

"No offensive, but then why are you leading us through here?" Link asked softly, glancing at the direction of the Kokiri.

"I really don't know," Tamera admitted. "All I know is that he said no for some reason and she's been coming here a lot more often than usual. However, I do know where we need to go." Here she pulled out a roll of tight parchment and smoothed it out to reveal a roughly-drawn map of a large building. "We're here," she said, pointing at one point on the map, "and the only way to the basement is here," she pointed at the center.

"Then let us go," Ichor said, but Tamera shook her head.

"It won't be that easy," she said. "The way down is sealed shut with some kind of flagstone, but there are these four golden torches that might open it if we can get them to light."

"I've got a flint on me," Link offered.

"That will not work." Saria had followed them in. "Those torches will not light with ordinary fire. However, there are other identical golden torches in each corner of this place, each with a different colored flame. I believe that each torch must be lit with flame from its twin in order for the basement to open." She looked around the entrance. "This is as far as I'm allowed. Beware, all of you: the ones you seek, the Cubus Sisters, have already entered this place." With one last glace around, Saria walked out.

"Told you she knew more than me," Tamera said, returning to the map. "Now, since this is the center, then the torches should be here, here, here, and… here." She marked four places on the map.

Link looked at the map. The four places Tamera had indicated were indeed near each corner, but there were two that seemed closer together, connected by one room. "I've got an idea," he said, looking up at Ichor pointed. "What if we split up? If you'll get these," he pointed at the two flame locations that were close together, "I'll go for the other two." He pointed at the other two that were farther apart.

"That's a good plan," Ichor grunted and Tamera nodded.

"I'll go with Ichor then," the Kokiri said. When Ichor looked at her, she shrugged. "There are several tight places where you're going to need my help. Besides, Link, you'll need to move faster than us since the ones you're going for are farther apart." With this in mind, Ichor agreed and the three of them had separated to their chosen halves of the manor. Since Tamera was going with Ichor, Link got the map.

The first torch was easy to find, even though he had to navigate a twisted pathway that left him thoroughly confused as to whether or not that he was upside down or not. The flame unnerved him a bit, as it was very strange to see bright green fire burning as cheerfully as any other. It was in a large room that had suspicious number of human-sized bones lying around the floor. Link cautiously entered the room, highly aware of the scent of rotting meat. His suspicions turned to reality when not one but three Stalfos (the normal, shield-bearing type at least) rattled to life and came after him.

Avaraleen brutal training turned out to be quite since all three of them decided to attack at once and at different angles. For the most part, he deflected the blows meant for him to one of the skeletons, but there were a few times where that option wasn't available and reflexives honed from their sparring sessions took over, allowing him to avoid several injuries that he normally wouldn't have. He didn't escape unscathed, though; he acquired a narrow gash high up on his left arm.

When the Stalfos were reduced to smoke and bone fragments, Link was then faced with the problem of figuring out a way to transport some of the green flame to the center room. It didn't seem to consume any fuel that he could see or smell (it didn't even give off any smoke) and the flame was cooler than normal fire, though it would still burn his hand if he stuck it in far enough. The branches he stuck in refused to light, so making a torch was out of the question.

Out of sheer desperation, he tried capturing the flame in an empty bottle he had just emptied of water and it worked, much to his surprise. Embolden by this, Link made his way to the second flame, but while there another dual-wielding Stalfos that required vanquishing and a huge, gruesome hand that kept falling down from the ceiling (there was no way he could see it from where it lurked, so he had to watch out for its shadow and listen for when it was going to fall), there was no torch with a colored flame. There was, however, a large bejeweled chest that contained a single gold key. It looked important, so he took it with him when he finally gave up looking. The room wasn't all that large anyways.

Ichor and Tamera hadn't made it back to the center room by the time Link got there, but the minute he set foot in the central room, the green fire popped out the cork holding it inside and zoomed over to one of the four torches, lighting it. With a shrug, he perched up on the low wall surrounding the middle of the room and settled himself to wait pouring over the map as he did. Just where was that final flame?

After an hour or so, a crashing sound in the corner made him jerk up to see Ichor and Tamera enter the room through one of the doors looking slightly haggard, but pleased. "We got them!" Tamera said proudly as she produced two bottles filled with fire, one red, one orange. "But there were these two nasty Stalfos guarding the torches, but Ichor knocked them out flat!" Both flames burst out of their bottles and raced over to two of the torches. Now only one lay unlit.

"There wasn't one of those torches in the last location," Link said as he pulled out the key to show them, "only this. I thought it was important, so I brought it along. I can't figure out where the fourth flame is though." He pointed to the map as Ichor leaned over to take a look.

"There are no more over here," he said slowly, waving a hand over half of the map. "We checked just in case."

Link tapped his fingers thoughtfully. "And it's not over here." He noticed Tamera was pressing in close to him. "Tamera? What's wrong?" She was pale and her eyes were round as she pointed to something behind them. Link turned and felt his left hand shoot up to grab the Master Sword as his right shove the Kokiri towards Ichor.

A huge Stalfos grinned at him as it advanced from the shadows, eyes burning purple, but it was unlike any other he had seen because this one not only had two arms armed with long swords, but it had two more wrapped around its waist, both gripping the handles of large battle axes. It moved forwards with swords at the ready as Link slipped his shield off his back and squared himself to fight this…thing.

The first thing the skeleton tried to do was immediately slice him in half, but a well-timed back flip got him out of dodge. An opening appeared and Link took it, smashing a pair of ribs that were not protected by the second pair of arms. The Stalfos roared and retaliated with a series of diagonal slashes, forcing Link to back away with his shield up, but he made sure that he kept the creature well away from the corner where Ichor stood with his sword out, Tamera behind him.

Link glared at the skeleton and waited for it to stop thrashing wildly before sidestepping to its exposed back. One powerful swing cracked the spine, resulting in the skeleton screaming as it turned on him. This time it brought all four arms into play, making twice as dangerous, but now Link had a better shot at smashing the ribcage. The only opening the thing gave him was a small hole right in the center that he was able to exploit by thrusting forward, even though it wasn't exactly his strong suit.

A good ten minutes had passed before he was finally able to shatter the spine. The legs ran around for a second before tripping over the empty helmet and shattering on the floor, which gave him a small chuckle. "That one was nasty," Link commented he sheathed his sword. His right arm burned when he went to return to return his shield to his back and felt a bruise spreading up his arm from deflecting some blow. A glint of color caught the corner of his eye, drawing his attention to the skeleton's helmet. The gem set in the forehead glowed purple before breaking open and releasing a small flame that raced over to the last torch. With all four torches lit, a square tile set in the middle of the floor rose up, supported by four poles on each corner.

"Well, that worked," Tamera said shakily as she emerged from behind Ichor. She pointed at the miniature pavilion that had just formed. "I think that's the way down."

Link looked at the small pavilion dubiously. "How are we all going to fit on this thing?" he asked. Glancing over at Ichor, he added, "No offensive."

"None taken," the larger warrior said, inclining his head. "There must be a way to send the platform back up if someone goes down without having to search for the torches again."

"Oh, there is a way, just not one that you'll like," announced a cheery voice. Link turned to see four hooded figures standing at the entrance. "How do you think all four of us got down there in the first place?"

"And just who might you be?" Link asked, hand on his sword again. The little voice inside him was screaming that these people were not good.

The tallest one laughed and removed its hood to an attractive young woman with deep purple hair. "Why, we're just old friends of your Sorceress," she said with a dark smile as she glanced around. "Where is the infamous Nightingale anyway? I thought she wouldn't leave her precious Hero 's side."

Link gave her a feral grin of his own. "As if I would ever tell someone like you." He yanked out the Master Sword. "And what's with all the 'nightingale' crap?"

"That's what the Master always called her," another one of the hooded figures said, pulling off her hood to reveal bright red hair. "Don't ask us why; she left before we joined."

"But we need her for the Master's plan," a third interjected, tossing her hood off bright blue hair. "Well, at least for the final part of the plan. For now, she'll do." She pointed at Tamera who was half-hidden behind Ichor.

The big man pushed her farther behind himself as he yanked out his sword. "She just a girl, though," he growled. "What do you want with her?"

"Don't play stupid with us," snapped the fourth, pulling her hood off green hair. "She one of the Kokiri, which means she's the only one around who can get us what we came for."

Link and Ichor exchanged a glance. If the Cubus Sisters were also after the "pure magic" and they needed Tamera to get it for them, would that mean that the other members of the Council would have to help them get the others?

"Enough," said the purple one. "Let's just get this over with." In a perfectly synchronized motion, all four of them turned on one foot and disappeared.

Link sheathed the Master Sword and pulled out his bow as he slowly edged towards Ichor and Tamera. The Sisters all but told him that they were going after the Kokiri, but he was going to make sure that that wasn't going to happen. Ichor gave him a quick glance. "How good are you?" he asked softly.

Link gave a short shrug as he grabbed an arrow from his quiver and nocked it. "Fair enough. Just don't get in front of me 'cause I'm shooting first and asking questions later." He heard a stifled snort from Tamera and an agreeing "hmph" from Ichor, but then there was a high-pitched giggle coming from one of the corners. Link swung his bow in the direction he heard the noise come from, but there was nothing. He scanned the room slowly, ready to fire at even a hint of movement. Beside him, Ichor hefted his sword to a more comfortable position as he took scanned around for any sign of the Cubus Sisters.

Finally, Link caught sight of a corner of a cloak. Taking only a second, he aimed a little to the left, fired, and was rewarded with a scream of pain and some cursing as the red-haired one literally _flew_ out of the shadows. "Oh, that is so not fair," Link muttered as he fitted another arrow to the string and pulled it back, but she vanished once more before he could release it. "They get to fly around while we're stuck down here."

"Whoever said life was fair?" snarled one of the Sisters, darting across the room so fast Link couldn't catch a glimpse of which one it was. "If it was, you wouldn't even be here!"

"No argument there," Link grumbled, searching for another target. A flicker to the right cause an arrow to fly from his bow to the same spot, but with no results this time. Ichor growled something under his breath and Link felt for the large warrior; attempting to fight four people who insisted on hiding in the shadows was nerve-wracking. He was about to suggest that they get Tamera out of there when he heard a pained grunt and turned around.

The purple Sister stood behind Ichor, one hand holding the hilt of a knife that had been shoved through the steel strips of his armor, the other gripping Tamera's arm tightly. The Interloper smiled coldly at Link as she pulled the knife out and pulled the struggling Kokiri closer to herself. "You fools," she sneered. "I guess the fabled Nightingale failed to tell you to watch your backs when she sent you here?" Chuckling, she pushed Ichor out of the way and he fell to the ground, one hand clamped over the wound while the other still gripped his sword.

"Actually, she did," Link bantered, throwing his bow back on his back and yanking out the Master Sword at the same time. "I'm just hard of hearing sometimes."

"Don't even think about it," she said, holding Tamera in front of her like a shield, the blood-smeared knife at the Kokiri's throat. "You wouldn't want to hurt your friend here, now, would you?" Tilting her head, the Cubus Sister gave him what would have been a charming smile had not the situation been so grim.

"I don't think your master would like it if you harmed her," Link shot back, but secretly he was seething. The way Ichor was clutching at his wound, he was out of action, and with the three other Sisters surrounding them, getting Tamera out of there was going to be impossible. He swore; he wasn't cut out for something like this. This was more of something Avaraleen would be able to…Avaraleen, Crow, Dead Man's Volley.

"I've got an idea," Link suddenly blurted out. "A little birdie told me that you four like to play a game called Dead Man's Volley." _Sorry, Avaraleen._ "Seeing how all of us are here for the same thing, let's settle this simply: winner takes all."

The Interloper raised an eyebrow. "You would play against us? Just you alone?" Her smiled morphed into a cruel leer when Link nodded.

"Link, no!" Tamera shouted. "Just get out of here."

"Quiet, you," snapped her captor. Looking up at Link, she said, "Meet us below, Hero, when you are ready to decide your doom." Laughing, she disappeared once more, this time taking Tamera with her. Judging by the silence in the room, the other three had disappeared as well.

Link went to check on Ichor, but the big man only growled at him, saying, "Go! I cannot fight now, but I'll live. Save the girl and destroy those creatures!"

So Link had followed the Sisters into what had to be the most ornate basement he'd ever seen. The center had been raised into some kind of stage with the edges roped off. Floating above it were the four Cubus Sisters, but there was something wrong with their faces; they no longer looked to be attractive young women. Instead, they looked rather…demonic.

None of them waited to see if Link was even ready to fight them. The minute he stepped onto the stage, spears that appeared to be poisoned shot up over the entrance and the Sisters attacked; leaving him in the position he was in now.

Avaraleen had been right when she had said that these…girls (they didn't look like girls to him anymore) were good at this so-called game. The "ball" they passed among themselves was formed out of what appeared to be lightning and hurt like an armored punch to the stomach, as he found out very quickly. That, and there was an art to smacking the ball back at them. The flat side of Master Sword did reflect the magic back at them, but he had to swing it in a certain direction in order to make sure it went the way he wanted it to, but most of the time his passes caused the ball to shatter harmlessly against the walls. In short, the whole ordeal was getting on his nerves.

A lucky swing caused the latest ball to clip one of the Sisters, the red one, on the arm. She shrieked and dove at him, causing him to dive-rolled to another part of the stage. She'd would've come back for another round has not the purple one grabbed her by the arm. "Joelle, no!" she hissed at her sister. "It was only a lucky shot." She sneered down at Link. "You won't be so lucky again, boy."

"What's with everyone calling me boy? I'm eighteen for crying out loud." The words slipped out before Link could even stop them.

The purple Sister laughed humorlessly. "Years mean very little compared to knowledge, and you know very little about us."

"I know enough to send to the four of you to the Evil Realm," Link snarled back. "Did you know that your Master destroyed a village near the western border?"

"For that was where he- never mind! A simpleton like you would never understand!" The purple one smiled at him as she formed yet another ball of lightning.

_Oh, Farore, Din, Nayru, anyone,_ Link prayed silently, _a little help down here would be appreciated._

The ball crackled towards him and he readied himself to attempt to bat it back again when _it_ happened. The edges of his vision blurred and changed, as though he was looking through the eyes of someone else, though why anyone would be on a platform in the sky was beyond him, not to mention how they got up there in the first place. The floor seemed to shift around as air seemed to whip around him. For a single second, the Sisters disappeared and what looked a giant plant with fans coming out of its head and one giant eyeball. He blinked once and the Sisters reappeared. _Slice the blade where you wish the energy to go_, said a small voice.

If Link didn't know any better, he would've thought his sword was speaking to him, but seeing how he had called for divine intervention, he was going to take all the help he could get. A second before the ball hit, he slashed horizontally and the ball returned to purple sister, who passed it to the blue. The Sisters passed it among themselves several times before sending it back to him. Seeing how the first slice went exactly where he had been aiming, Link made as though he was going to pass to the red Sister (Joelle?) but a flick of his wrist twisted the blade and sent the ball straight towards the green one, who was not expecting it and screamed as the magic hit her.

"Amy!" shrieked the blue, but the green only waved her off.

"It is nothing, Beth," she snarled as she glared at Link, who only shrugged.

"Whoops," Link commented nonchalantly before flashing a grin at the purple Sister, who had to be Meg if he remembered correctly. "What were you saying about me not being able to do that again?"

Meg's response was only another ball sent his direction, but now he had the hang of things and sent it back with ease. Now it was only a matter to wear them down, but not kill at least one of them. With all these hints they kept dropping, they knew something important, and he was going to make them talk.

The next Sister hit was Beth who cursed him and sent back a shot so fast Link didn't have any time to dodge, forcing him to take a hit on his shield arm. He almost dropped the sheet of metal, but he was able to keep his on the handle and send the next ball whizzing back at her. She caught it and sent it to Amy, causing the ball to bounce among the Sisters for some time before it returned to Link.

This time it went directly to Joelle and hit her square on the chest, but she didn't scream this time. Instead she only clutched her head and let out an eerie wail before vanishing in a puff of smoke. Her Sisters only watched her for a moment before resuming their attacks with more ferocity than before. Link gritted his teeth and responded back, knowing all too well that the Sisters would only give him a respite only when they were dead.

The next to disappear was Amy, followed then by Beth, leaving only Meg, who had been unusually silent for the past twenty minutes. Not that Link actually cared: he was out of breath from a combination of returning what shots he could and dodging the rest, so he really didn't mind not having to come up with some witty remark to shoot back at her. However, her unusual silence was a little unnerving. The only sound she made was a small grunt when he was finally able to land a hit.

By some weird circumstance, Link had to return four blows before she finally let out a wail, but instead of disappearing, she floated down to the ground and crumbled into a heap, sobbing. Link kept his sword out as he approached, yet he couldn't help but notice something was different about her. If he squinted, he could almost make out the curves of the railing directly behind her, almost as though she was a-

"I'm a ghost now, if that's what you're thinking." Link flinched as she looked up at him as he realized what he had taken for some kind of hair ornament was in fact a decorative part of the railing behind her. He could actually see right through her. "You've won where none have before."

"I'll take that as a compliment then," Link said, still gripping the Master Sword tightly.

Meg laughed at him. "Sheath your sword, Hero. I won't attack you." She tilted her head up to the dark ceiling. "Neither will my Sisters. They're still around, in the same state as I," she added when Link jumped and looked around.

"I have your word on that?" At her silent nod, Link slowly returned his sword to its sheath, but never moved from his stance. "Where's Tamera?"

"She will be returned to you when I leave, for as you say, the winner takes all." She heaved a sigh. "And as I am the loser, I must pay. Your wager was Tamera, so my payment will be information." Looking up, she stared him directly in the eye. "Zamur has made a deal with someone powerful, but for him to hold up his end of the bargain, he must have the Master Sword, Avaraleen, and one other person in his possession, and he must have another person killed. I know not who the second person he must have captured, only that this person is a woman, but the one who must die is the last remaining descendent of the Hero of legend."

Link blinked once. "The descendent of the Hero?" he repeated.

Meg nodded. "All I know is that the Hero was rumored to have resided somewhere in the west. However, when we came here, my Sisters and I found an encoded journal that may contain more on about his, as the symbol on the cover is similar to that of the sect originally searching for the Master Sword. I believe you found a member of them when you began your quest for the sword."

Link sucked in a breath. "William. But what did Zamur want with Tamera?"

Meg only shrugged. "I do not know. Zamur said we were either to return with the magic of the Forest or not at all. That is all I know, Hero. If you travel to the remaining temples, the others who were sent there may tell you more. Leave this place and never return, for my Sisters and I will roam these halls until one can let our spirits rest arrives, but not you." She glared at him. "Never you, for you are the one who has condemned us to this existence."

Link nodded and stepped back as the eldest Cubus Sister faded into nothingness. A moment later, a flash of purplish light revealed Tamera holding a small leather-bound book right where Meg used to be. She appeared a bit shaken, but the way she stood with one fist on her hip meant that she was fine, albeit a little ticked.

"About time you figure out how to be those…things," she snapped as she walked up to him and shoved the book at him. "Here, I think you need this more than me."

Leafing through the pages, Link couldn't make out heads or tails of the strange markings covering the pages. The general shape was that of the normal Hylian alphabet, but the letters had somehow been distorted and the few letters he could make out didn't make any sense. "Tamera, do you have any idea what this is written in?"

"Nope. I'd ask the Sorceress if I were you. She might have a clue." The Kokiri studied the very center of the floor with a frown. "Well here we are, but how are we going to get what we need?"She crouched down and brushed away dirt and dust to reveal what appeared to be a mosaic pattern on the floor before glancing up at Link, who shrugged.

"Don't look at me; you know more about magic," he said, pushing the book into his pouch.

She rolled her eyes at him before returning her gaze back to the mosaic. "I can sense the Forest here, but I don't know how to-" she touched the pattern and yelped as a column of green light surrounded her. Link immediately leapt towards her with one hand on the Master Sword's hilt, but froze when Tamera held up a hand. With the other she reached up and grabbed something while cocking her head as though she was listening to someone. She nodded once and the light intensified so that she was concealed from view for a moment before the column disappeared.

"What was that?" Link demanded.

Tamera looked at him with wide eyes. "I think that was the Goddesses who just spoke to me," she whispered.

Link almost dropped his sword. "Say what?!"

"The Goddesses, all three of them, just spoke to me," Tamera repeated. "They're aware of what you're doing and they…they approve of it, but they say I have to remain here to somehow channel the magic of the Forest through this." She handed him a small green medallion embossed with four crescents in an X formation. "They say Avaraleen will know what to do."

"The Goddesses mentioned Avaraleen?" Link asked incredulously. When the Kokiri nodded, he shook his head. "You know she's going to be stunned when she hears about this."

"Do me a favor then," Tamera said with a smile. "Get me a picture of her face when you tell her."

Link laughed. "Will do. You sure you'll fine down here?"

"I'm sure." She pointed towards the exit. "Go, before those Sisters decide to exact revenge on you now. Besides, Ichor's wounded, remember?"

"Right. Well, see you later." Link gave her a quick two-fingered salute before hurrying out of the room towards the pavilion that took him up to the main room. He had expected to see Ichor on his feet waiting for him to arrive, but he wasn't expecting to see a shadowy figure leveling a thin knife to his throat the moment he stepped out of the pavilion. Link grabbed his sword hilt and was about to draw it when Ichor grunted loudly.

"He is an ally, Garo," the big man grumbled.

The knife vanished and Link stepped away from his attacker. "Friend of yours?" he asked as he took in shawl-like robes and a hood that left the eyes glowing like coals.

"You could say that," Ichor came forward with a scowl. "Apparently someone back in Termina wants to ensure my survival, so they sent a member of the Garo to follow us." Seeing Link's confused expression, he added, "They are similar to your Sheikah."

"Uh-huh." Link nodded towards the Garo, who only stared back at him, before glancing back to Ichor. "Can we trust him?"

"I have sworn an oath to the Goddesses to protect the Champion, and protect him I shall, with or without your trust." Link's eyes widened: the Garo was a girl.

_Ah, crap,_ he thought, _what is it with me and getting into trouble with women who know how to kill me? _Out loud, he said, "Sorry, but I hope you forgive me 'cause I just got done defeating four Sisters whose last wishes were for all of us to get out of here before they start haunting this place."

Ichor grunted. "Then they are dead?"

Link nodded. "Tamera's fine, but she's staying behind; long story short, the Goddesses said she had to."

Ichor raised an eyebrow. "Will she be alright down here by herself?"

"She said so."

"Very well." Ichor let out his breath in a huff and jerked his head to the entrance/exit. "Shall we go then?"

Link nodded. "The Sorceress should've found another monster-infested place for us to dive headfirst into by now," he said with a sigh.

"Take heart," Ichor replied, leading the way, "at least we know the monsters want to kill us, unlike the vipers at the royal court who never let anyone know what they're planning."

Nodding in agreement, Link found himself pleasantly surprised. Maybe he and Ichor were more alike than he'd originally thought. With the Garo right behind them, they left the ruins of the once-proud manor…

ooo0ooo

She knew there was someone watching her, but then, she had expected it. Mediation was a requirement for every magic user, regardless of race, to keep their power in check, but while nearly everyone else just sat in one spot and concentrated on certain breathing patterns, the Gerudo relied more on complicated sword dances. As magic was something that never stopped moving, the various cuts, feints, and parries allowed her to focus more on being able to obtain the flow and direct it where she wanted. Also, the exercise ensured no potentially lethal interruptions from any magical backlash and served well as a warm-up.

However, even her most reliable (and complex) sword dance wouldn't let her grasp the various remnants of natural magic around her. It was as so she was trying to grab hold of the reins of six runaway horses, but when she had five in one hand and was about to reach for the sixth, one would break away, forcing her to start all over again. It would be easier if she focused on just one or two and have the rest fall in behind as support, but what she needed to do required her to draw on all six different magicks evenly. She knew she could do it as she had done it before, but only once and under extreme circumstances…

_He drew closer and she tried to pull away, but the manacles around her wrists dug in and held her in firmly place. The smile he gave was cold, full of malice, as he grabbed her hair, forcing her face up to his._

"_You are mine, my sweet Nightingale," he whispered harshly. "No matter what you do or where you go, you will always be mine."_

_She said nothing, only glared at him with fiery eyes. How could she ever think she loved a madman like him? A murderous, traitorous, worthless waste of humanity…there was only one way fitting for him to die, and she was going to make it slow…_

_His free hand caressed her face and she jerked away, ignoring the pain in her scalp. He only laughed and brought his lips close to her ear. "You can't run away from me," he whispered. "There is nowhere for you to run to now. Daddy's dead, Mommy despises you. All I have to do is make sure you always return to me." He gripped her hair tighter and pressed his lips on hers._

_At the same time, a hot brand pressed itself right between her shoulder blades._

_White-hot fire unlike anything she'd ever known raced through her blood until every vein burned. Her back arced away from the brand, driving her body closer to his to escape the pain. His mouth smothered her screams and the shackles bound her ankles so she couldn't kick him off. With tears leaking from her eyes, she sought solace from the only thing she could: the storm set to rage outside the single narrow window…_

Wait, wait, she almost had it. Side-step left, duck right, upwards slash with block, leg sweep, all of the magicks came towards her, slowly but surely, like skittish horses recognizing a trusted friend. All she had to do was reach out and take hold…

Someone coughed behind her.

She lost her grip on the magicks and they fled, but what Shadow magic she'd found sensed her weakness and lashed out at her before disappearing with the other five. It was strong enough to break the protection she had and force her to her knees, but the pain wasn't strong enough to make her lose her grip on her blades. Growling a few Gerudo swearwords, she pushed herself back to her feet and slammed the two short swords back into their sheaths.

"Hasn't anyone told you not to interrupt a mage when they're working?" Avaraleen snapped as she yanked off her blindfold to confront the intruder.

Rauru gave a raised eyebrow. "And what, pray tell, were you working on?" he asked with a curious expression.

Avaraleen resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "What do you think? You, your King, and everyone else dragged me out of the Lost Woods for a reason other than my charming personality and great taste in friends." Rotating her neck, she sent a glare up at one of her "guards" who was hiding above the single window in the back. His brother wasn't doing his job properly.

"That is an odd way to practice a large working," he commented as he moved forward. They were in a small room at the very back of the Temple of Time, hidden from public view by a heavy stone door. It was the location for the final resting place of the Master Sword and Avaraleen was a firm believer of the theory "one should be familiar with any place she's going to perform a large magical working." Besides, it got her away from the prying eyes of the nobles.

"It is the way of the Gerudo," she said simply, picking up a small towel near the wall and wiping the sweat off her face and arms. The action allowed her to hide a wince from the backlash of the Shadow magic.

"Swinging a sword around while blindfolded?" The King's Advisor made an incredulous noise behind her. "How can you calm your thoughts if you are focused on where your sword goes?"

"Ever hear of multitasking?" She turned around and smirked at his blank look. "Women are capable of thinking multiple things at once, so, naturally, even attempting to calm our thoughts is nigh near impossible. With this in mind, the Gerudo meditate through various sword dances. By focusing a part of our minds on 'swinging a sword around' as you say, we then can dedicate the rest of it to whatever we really need to focus on. And it's not just for mages." She flicked her braided hair off her shoulder. "I've seen several of the most prominent women in the Fortress solve tough situations while meditating."

Rauru blinked and tilted his head. "Interesting, but why do it blindfolded?"

Avaraleen shrugged. "Personal preference. Adds a degree of difficulty and makes sure I'm not distracted from anything visual, though it does nothing for the audible distractions." She gave him a meaningful look.

"My apologies." He gave her a half bow. "I hope I didn't cause any mishaps."

She was about to lie to him when she remembered he was a powerful Light Mage on the King's private, accustomed to seeing through any falsehood. Her best defense against that was the truth. A little bit of it. "Only a slight backlash from some Shadow, but I've been hit with worse."

"Hmm," was all he said. His small eyes seemed to scrutinize her briefly, as though he knew she was hiding something, before he offered his arm. "May I escort you back to the castle?" he asked. "That is, if you are finished here?"

If both the Sheikah and the Gerudo hadn't been so hard on her, Rauru's offer would've caught her completely off-guard. It was only natural that nobles distrusted the shadow folk who kept an eye on them for the royal family and the desert tribe who occasionally robbed them. Even the thought of even the most backwards and simplest of nobles offering so much as a used handkerchief was ridiculous to both races. However, Rauru, the King's own advisor and most likely the most prominent noble in all of Hyrule, was offering to escort her back up to the castle.

Instantly distrust pushed aside shock. There had to be an angle he was playing, one she couldn't see yet. She took a step back. "What are you playing at?" she asked, hearing her voice drop to the low icy tone she used when she suspected someone was attempting to gain leverage over her.

Rauru looked taken aback, but quickly recovered. "I am not playing at anything," he replied calmly. "Cannot an old man escort a young lady back to the castle?"

Avaraleen stared directly into his eyes, but she saw no hint of deceit or attempt of trickery. Either he was a very good liar or he was telling the truth. There was only one way to find out. Lowering her eyes down to right, she appeared to be weighing his response while considering her next move. In reality, she was drawing up a bit Light to detect anything hidden countered with a tiny amount of Shadow to reveal it. "How do I know that for sure?"

"Avaraleen, I deal with enough deception and empty promises in the King's Council. I have no intention of attempting to gain a hold over you." He voice was clear and his eyes still said he was telling the truth. What was more, her simple spell confirmed the fact, and once more she misjudged another.

With a sigh, she released the magic and rubbed her temples. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Link?" she asked. "Because the two of you seem to enjoy surprising me in ways I'm not expecting."

Rauru cracked a smile. "I'm afraid not, though I shudder at the thought of another like the Hero in Hyrule."

"You have a point there." Despite her usual misgivings against nobles, there was something about the old man that made him extremely likable, and she had to fight the urge to smile back. "If only we had a few more like him, there would be fewer problems around here."

"Much to the horror of nobles everywhere."

She bit her lip, but that last statement was the final straw. She let out a bark of laughter. "Perhaps it is a good thing that there's only one Link then?" she choked out after a minute.

"Perhaps so." Rauru extended his arm out again. "So may I escort you back to the castle?"

Avaraleen smiled back at him. "Give me a moment." With a few deft movements, she slung her cloak over her shoulders, concealing the thin robe she'd "borrowed" from some priest for her meditation (she had a feeling he wasn't going to get it back) and signaled the Sheikah above the window that they were about to move before gratefully accepting Rauru's arm. "I do have one question for you though," she said as the two of them walked out of the small room.

"Ask away, my dear, and I shall attempt to answer it to the best of my ability," the older man said over the grinding of the stone door sliding back to seal the hidden room.

Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Why is it that you, one of the most prominent nobles, offer any form of help to the daughter of the two most mistrusted races in Hyrule?"

Rauru chuckled. "I find you quite interesting, Avaraleen. Never before have I met anyone who has traveled Hyrule as extensively as I have, and I have a feeling you've seen more than I ever have."

Avaraleen shook her head ruefully. "You could say that I had a knack for going places I wasn't supposed to. Some of my…exploits have been insightful, but still there are some I wish to forget."

The King's advisor nodded in agreement. "Such is the fate of all such travelers, and I fear Link will have more than his share of adventures he would want to forget. Speaking of him, he and Ichor were seen near the edge of the Lost Woods earlier today."

"Din, Nayru, and Farore, they made it, and they have the magic." She breathed a sigh of relief. "That explains why the Forest felt so close." Glancing up at the sun, she frowned at the angle. "But something must have happened in there if they dared the woods before sunrise."

Rauru looked at her in concern. "Should we send someone out to meet them?"

Avaraleen shook her head. "If either of them were wounded, they would've stayed until sunrise to avoid the Stalchilds. No, I'll go down to the kitchens and figure out what happened."

"The kitchens? How do you plan on learning from the maids' gossip if they haven't even arrived yet?"

"Mark my words: the first thing those two will want is a hot meal after trekking through a monster-infested place, so they'll go to the one place they know they can get it."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Hi! Hey! How are you? Yes, I'm talking to you, staring at the computer (or iPad, ipod, Kindle, or whatever) screen. Yeah, I'm sooo crazy right now…

So, I have discovered that I really hate writing dungeon-crawling scenes, hence why this chapter took forever. Writing up boss fights are fine, the whole running around looking for a key and stuff, not-so. In the future, I might just skip straight to the boss fight and leave the dungeon crawling/design to the developers (awesome job in SS guys, you really made me think at some points). However, if any of you got any suggestions on how I could better, feel free to drop me a line in your review.

Anyways, we now got a Garo as a part of the group and some insight to Avaraleen's sorta recent past, so let the theories and rumors fly. I will just neither confirm nor deny any of them until I get that part written and posted. One thing I will confirm is that I'm planning to make Rauru sorta like the Hylian version of Ducky from _NCIS_. If some of you don't understand, he's going to be the old uncle everyone loves. Well, nearly everyone, he might tick a few people off due to his position.

I think that's everything, so I'm just going to finish finalizing my Spring Break plans for me, Karane, and Orielle to go to Faron Lake. There's a rumor saying there's going to be some really hot guys down there…(uh-oh, how did I get so off-topic?)…Um, that's all for now, so until next time, dragoness of storm, out! See ya!


	14. The Wonders of Fine Print

Thanks to: Bombidill95, Riku Uzumaki, Dire Heart, kellie-rose, supersonic50, and HiddenHeartPiece for the usual. Hmm, a few new people, but let's get on with why all of you are really here.

* * *

><p>"Sorry, boys, but I haven't got a clue what this says."<p>

Link let out a short groan before shoving a large spoonful of stew in his mouth. The journey back from the Lost Woods had been uneventful but slightly emotional. He and Ichor had only lingered long enough for Link to tell the Great Deku Tree Tamera was going to be staying in the Forest Temple (or manor?) for an undetermined amount of time before slipping away to avoid any awkward questions the other Kokiri might've had. After riding hard back to the castle and stabling their mounts, both warriors, by unspoken consent, went to raid the kitchens for something to eat where, lo and behold, Avaraleen was waiting for them with a large pot of stew. Needless to say, the two of them dug in quite eagerly, though Link was able to restrain himself long enough to give Avaraleen the journal along with a brief explanation before heaping a large bowl for himself. Now she looked up at them from where she had been poring over the journal for the past ten minutes.

"Whoever wrote this only wanted certain people to be able to read this," she said wearily.

With an effort, Link swallowed his mouthful. "Are you saying that we won't be able to know what it says?" he asked.

Avaraleen smiled. "No, I'm saying that while I can decode it, I can't read this. They used an encoding process that I can crack easily, but they must have known someone could do it, so they wrote the whole thing in Ancient Hylian."

Ichor frowned. "Is that not the language of the mages? Do you not speak that language?"

"Sadly, no." She gave an embarrassed laugh. "I only know enough to say 'Din, Nayru, and Farore, please don't let me do something stupid and mess this thing up,' or something on the lines of that." Link sniggered and she glared at him. "However, Ancient Hylian is considered a scholar's language, and this castle is full of them. It might take a few days, but we'll eventually figure out what it says."

A servant came at this time, a young boy with wide eyes as he came closer. "E-excuse me," he stammered, looking from Ichor to Link to Avaraleen, "b-but Lord Dotour requests the presence of S-sir Ichor im-immediately."

Avaraleen muttered darkly under her breath. "You better get going, Ichor," she said grimly. "He's as mad as a bear with a burr under his tail. The gossip says he doesn't like some kind of arrangement someone back in Termina made concerning you."

Catching his eye, Link saw Ichor nod, confirming what he was thinking; the Garo who was now following them was the source of the problem. "I will see him then," Ichor said as he stood. "Link, will you…?"

Link nodded, fully understanding what the big man wanted. "I'll tell her."

Avaraleen looked from one to the other, obviously confused, but thankfully she didn't press either of them for more information. Not yet at least: the look in her eyes said she was going to ask at the first opportunity. Ichor gave her a slight bow before following the servant out of the kitchen.

When Ichor was out of sight, Link turned to Avaraleen. "'Mad as a bear with a burr under his tail?'' he repeated with a grin.

She glared at him. "If you ever seen one, you'd understand."

Opening his mouth to comment back, Link decided against it and began to shovel the stew into his mouth at a steady pace. The less fuel he gave her for her verbal sallies, the better.

Thankfully, she was watching Ichor leave, so she didn't see Link's sudden movement. However, she was frowning slightly. "Where is he injured?" she asked softly after a moment.

"Middle of his back," Link replied. "One of them, Beth, managed to sneak up on him while we were distracted by the others and slip a knife through his armor. He had to sit out of the final fight, but we both knew he'd live."

"Hmm," was all she said as she continued to watch Ichor, tapping her fingers occasionally on the table before shaking her head. "Get a grip," he heard her mutter. "He's a seasoned campaigner, so he knows how to pace himself and whether or not he needs a healer."

"You alright?" Link asked cautiously.

Avaraleen nodded. "Just mother-henning over things that are not my concern." Glancing over at him, she nodded towards his bowl. "You finished, or do you want a refill?"

Link looked down and saw his now-empty bowl. Delicious as the stew was, he couldn't cram down another bite. "I'm done," he said with a sigh.

"If that's the case, do you mind taking a walk with me?" She gave him a sidelong glance. "I won't mind if you want to rest after all of this, but…" She gestured around at the kitchen servants bustling in the background, some of whom were casting curious looks their way.

"You want to know everything that happened in there," Link finished for her, "without letting everyone else know."

"You catch on quick."

"I was trained by some of your kinsmen."

She glared at him as she rose to her feet. "I highly doubt any of your instructors were related to me and if, in the slightest chance that one of them was, they'd disown me in a heartbeat. I'm the traitor who escaped twice, remember."

Link glared back at her as he copied her motion. "You're half Sheikah; you're related to them." He followed her out of the kitchen with a slight smirk at her silence.

It was the middle of the morning, and yet there were very few people in the corridors she led him through. Normally Link would relish the lack of questioning looks and whispers from the nobles, but the lack of anyone in the halls was unnerving him. He found himself flexing his left hand subconsciously as he scanned the halls for any potential threats. Oh, Farore, if he was like this after surviving just one dungeon, how paranoid would he become after surviving four more? If he survived them…

"Link?" He jumped and nearly drew the Master Sword before he realized Avaraleen was the one speaking to him. She had one hand on the hilt of one of her blades, seemingly ready to defend herself if he reflexively turned on her. "Are you alright?" she asked.

He shook his head and rubbed his temples with his right hand. "I'm still a little on edge from that…place," he admitted. "I'm still looking for shadows that aren't there." Glancing up, he thought he saw a flicker of something, concern or…fear, in her eyes before it vanished.

She gave him a sad smile. "I know what you mean, but you can relax: you're in the royal castle, which has been guarded like a fortress since the war. There's a small army manning the walls." She slipped one of her arms through his and gently tugged him out a nearby archway."If there's any trouble, you can let them handle it."

"I'm not sure I would," Link muttered darkly as they emerged out of the darken halls into a garden brightly lit with sunlight. "Most of those on the walls were never within hearing distance of the war. There's only a handful I trust out on those walls."

She gave him a look. "You're what, eighteen? Usually boys your age are content to let other people handle problems that are none of their concern."

"Others my age haven't done half the things I have."

"Good point." Stopping, she looked up at the wall surrounding the garden and whistled two low notes. Immediately one of her Sheikah shadows appeared over the wall and dropped down on light feet.

"Yes, Sorceress?" he asked.

"Both of you patrol the perimeter. No one comes in. I don't want to be disturbed unless it's a dire emergency and I'll be the judge of those circumstances." Avaraleen glared at the Sheikah, who cowered a little under his gaze. "Anymore mistakes like last time, and, well…you get the idea." She smiled coldly as the Sheikah gave a slight start and a hurried nodded before disappearing over the wall once more.

"What was that about?" Link wanted to know.

"This morning they allowed someone to interrupt me when I was working my idea for the spell on the sword." She grimaced as she set off walking around the garden, bringing Link along with her. "And right when I almost had it too."

"Did this interruption do any damage?"

"Slight backlash from some Shadow, but nothing I couldn't handle. The real reason I'm being terse with them is because there could have been damage done. They need to know never interrupt a mage in the middle of a spell."

Link frowned. "Unless the mage in question is an enemy and there's a good possibility he's doing something harmful." Seeing her questioning gaze, he shrugged. "'When in doubt, kill the mage'" he said, quoting a phrase he remembered from basic.

"True." Avaraleen nodded. "But it's best to be far away from said mage to avoid the backlash that's going to kill him from killing you."

"Hmm." They walked in silence for few minutes before Link asked, "What exactly is backlash and how does it affect a mage?"

Avaraleen chewed on her lower lip for a moment. "Imagine magic is a very skittish horse you're trying to capture with only a thin rope. As long as you're calm and attentive, the magic, or the horse in this case, won't be inclined to sudden movements, but say another person comes around and says…something. Well then you're attention is diverted; allowing the horse to escape, and it kicks you in the process. That kick is the backlash, and the greater the spell, the higher the potential backlash."

Link swallowed. "Does the backlash happen often?"

She shrugged. "Depends on the mage, the nature of the magic their attempting to control, and how good their hold on their concentration is. Usually I have safeguards to help prevent backlash, but…I guess I hadn't really needed them in so long that I forgot to bring them up."

"You forgot." He stared at her as she simply blinked at him once before rolling his eyes up to the heavens. "Please say you'll remember them when the time comes for you to cast the spell."

"When it comes to really big spells, I have a routine I follow, and safeguards are the first thing in it."

"They better be. I have a feeling we're only going to get on shot at this thing."

"I agree." They walked in silence once more, listening to the birdsong and the gentle rustling of the flowers as a breeze blew through their petals. This time, a good ten minutes past before Avaraleen broke the silence. "You'll need to play least-in-sight for a few days."

Link raised an eyebrow. "From who?"

"General… oh, what's-his-name, the one in charge of the Light Calvary Division."

"Logan." Link felt all of his venom at the scheming general slip out in the single word. "What does he want now: my newly-found job as Hero?"

"Not really, it's more on the lines of he wants you under his control. I've been avoiding him ever since you and Ichor left for the Forest Temple, but thankfully Arric and Aren have their uses beyond annoying me." Avaraleen glared at some distance point and let out an angry breath. "From what they told me, Logan tried going through the King to get into our little Council, but Daphne said no, so now he's attempting to arrange a meeting with me. However, that tends to be a little difficult when his messages, shall we say, accidentally get lost in the process. I have a feeling he'll try to order you back seeing how you're still enlisted in the Army."

Link let out an angry sigh of his own. "Won't the King just order me back to what I'm doing now?"

"Yes, but men like Logan feel that if they gain even the slightest amount of control over someone at the very beginning, then they can continue to sway that person until he is completely under his control. Unfortunately, that way of thinking does work on most people." Avaraleen bowed her head. "Zamur's one of those who think that way, even though he doesn't understand there are those who can resist such attempts," she added in a soft voice.

Link gave a slight nod of understanding, but didn't say anything. The look on her face said she was lost in memories, and unpleasant ones at that. It would be best if he could snapped her out of the past, however, he really didn't know how to do that without having her knocking him on his rear. Thankfully, he didn't have to do anything as something else did.

She had been like that for perhaps five minutes when both of them became aware of two people arguing in extremely loud voices and, judging by the numerous Sheikah phrases mentioned, one of them had to be a Sheikah. This was confirmed as the arguing pair rounded a corner, revealing one of Avaraleen's guards trying in vain to prevent a slightly larger man from progressing.

"General, I've told you before, the Sorceress is not to be disturbed!" the Sheikah said hotly, but the other man just pushed him aside.

"And I've told you or that brother of yours that I demanded to speak to her immediately," the man snapped back. "Now for the last time, get out of my w-!" He paused, seeing Link and Avaraleen standing before him, he with the expressionless face of a solider, she with one eyebrow raised at the going-ons.

The Sheikah took one look at her and threw his hands up in defeat. "I tried, Sorceress, but he wouldn't listen!" He went on to say more, but stopped when Avaraleen raised a hand.

"Where's your brother Arric?" she asked calmly.

Arric gestured behind her. "Patrolling the other half of the wall. The General here came through on my side."

She nodded. "Good. Go back to your post then. I handle this from here." Arric gave a stiff bow to her, a nod to Link, and a glare to the intruder before slipping away. Avaraleen then turned her attention to the glowering person before her. "General Logan, I presume?" she asked with a tilt of her head. "I don't believe we've been introduced before though."

The General of the Light Calvary Division jerked his head in the barest of inclines to her. "Yes, well, I have been trying to arrange a meeting with you for the past few days."

Avaraleen's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? I haven't received a message from you, and my guards are usually so on top of things! Are you sure you sent one?"

Logan frowned, his black brows drawing together in a dark line. "I sent you at least six," he said.

Link bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing. Avaraleen was obviously playing with Logan, pretending to be completely out of the loop while in reality, she probably knew more than most of the castle, and Logan was just falling for it completely. And, to be honest, Link didn't want to dispel the illusion. Logan was one of those nobles who had bought his way to his rank and, while he did know a bit about commanding, he used his arrogance to belittle everyone he considered inferior, with the exception of beautiful women. A fact Avaraleen was clearly exploiting as she blinked innocently at him.

"Oh, my," she said breathlessly, one hand on her chest as she feigned shock. "I must have a word with my guards if six messages have been lost and it must have been awfully important for you to send so many!" She shook her head. "Well, since you're here, perhaps you can tell me why you so desperately needed to speak to me?"

At this, Logan gestured at Link. "I've become aware that you are the reason one of my soldiers has been commandeered for a covert mission I was not informed of and therefore have not approved of its proceedings."

Avaraleen tilted her head quizzically. "And you came to me because…?"

Some of his arrogance revealed itself as Logan drew himself to his full height, making himself a head taller than her. "From what I've gathered, you are the one in charge of this mission."

"Perhaps…" Her voice may have been thick with sweetness, but Link could see a small gleam in her eyes, as though she was daring Logan to challenge her.

He raised an eyebrow at her obvious ambiguity. "Don't play coy with me, Sorceress," he said in a low voice. "I know you're a part of that secret Council, and since you've seen fit to commandeer one of my men, I demand to know exactly what it is."

Avaraleen raised one eyebrow, but kept up her act. "And if I don't?"

Logan gave her a dangerous smile. "Then I'm afraid you'll no longer have him at your disposal," he replied coolly, and then turned his gaze to Link. "Private Link, report to my office at once."

"Belay that order, soldier." Avaraleen's order snapped out on the heels of the general's, making Link freeze in his tracks. He'd only taken a step, but the tone she was using made him think it would be wise not to move a muscle for the time being.

"Section twenty-seven of the Military Code clearly states that a member of the Sheikah can appropriate the services of a soldier of the Light Calvary Division for an indefinite period of time as a result of the two-week Sheikah training given as a part of the soldier's basic training." Avaraleen dropped the breathlessness as she stepped out in front of Link and glared up at the general. "As I recall, and you just confirmed, Link is a private in the Light Calvary Division, which means he answers to me for as long as is required, and does not have to say anything to you."

Logan was stunned at her sudden outburst, but quickly recovered. "And I'm to believe that you are a Sheikah?" he sneered. "You claim far above your station, sand slut."

Link winced: Logan had just said one of the worse insults that could be said to a Gerudo. The usual response was for the offended Gerudo to punch the speaker hard enough to send him flying into the middle of next week, so he waited for Avaraleen's arm to reach back to send the fist flying forward, but she never did. Instead, she merely tossed her hair over her shoulder and produced the emblem of the Sheikah she wore on a long chain around her neck so it was usually hidden under her clothes.

"Just because I don't look like them doesn't mean I'm not my father's daughter," she said coldly. "And I'll thank you not to insult my mother's people."

Logan scoffed. "You expect me to believe that you are both Gerudo and Sheikah?"

Avaraleen shrugged. "Whether or not you believe it is up to you, but you will stay out of this," she responded. "What Link is up to and why I need him are subjects you do not need to know, but do know this: try in any way to interfere and I will personally make sure you regret that decision."

"And how would you accomplish that feat?" Logan shot back at her. "I am a noble with powerful connections-"

"Connections only obtained through your position and wealth." Avaraleen stepped forward, bearing down on the general. "Ones that vanish as soon as you lose both, and I just happen to have several friends in low places that can arrange for you to lose everything you take for granted. So you even make a single move to interfere, and I will start calling in favors." She placed on hand on her hip and cocked it. "We clear on that?"

Logan looked as though he was about to hit her, but contented himself by giving her a glare of his own. "Even if you are what you say, you'll soon find defying me will cost you," he hissed at her and spat on the ground to emphasize his point before stalking away.

Avaraleen waited for the general to be a good ten feet away before saying very loudly, "If I had five rupees every time I heard that, I'd be a duchess by now." When he turned to back to her, she only gave him one of her icy smiles and waved her fingers at him in a mocking goodbye. He turned away with an apparent effort and disappeared once more inside the castle.

Link let out a breath he hadn't noticed he was holding. "Are you sure that was a good idea, baiting him like that?" he asked.

Avaraleen shrugged. "I was what I could come up with on short notice. I should've known the General of Arrogance would've paid some of the servants to keep a lookout for you." She sighed and shook her head. "Ah, well, thank Nayru for fine print, since that's what saved you from him."

"What fine print?" Link was thoroughly confused. "I've had to memorize the Military Code, and I don't remember any fine print."

"That's because it was invented by some lawmaker a long time ago, and everyone knows lawmakers and military don't get along all that often. That, and it's one of the Sheikah's many secrets we like to throw out at inconvenient moments," Avaraleen replied with a smile.

Link snorted. "That wasn't an inconvenient moment."

"Inconvenient for those who might attempt to hinder whoever we're working with at the time," she admitted. "I knew Logan wasn't going to give you up without a fight, so I decided to take a look at the, ah, liberties a Sheikah had with military personnel, and what I told him is perfectly legit."

"Sorceress." Link and Avaraleen turned around to see Arric behind them with a disgruntled look on his face.

"What's the matter, Arric?" Avaraleen asked, one eyebrow raised.

"The next time he comes back, may we have your permission to…get rid of him?" Arric asked sharply. "There's only so much we can take of him, and our patience is thinning."

Avaraleen nodded. "As long as you don't cause permanent damage and there are no witnesses."

A grim smile spread over Arric's face as he gave a slight half-bow to her and disappeared once again. "Just not right now!" Avaraleen called after him. "I still need you two to watch the walls!"

Link shook his head. "I think you're becoming a bad influence on them," he said with mock sorrow.

Avaraleen shrugged. "It's Ivan's fault for assigning them here, but it's only a matter of time before Logan get's on anyone's nerves." She sighed and rotated her neck, releasing a soft series of pops. "However, Logan's not why I brought you here. I need to know what you found out in the Forest Temple."

"I was wondering when you were going to ask," Link murmured. He shifted uneasily on his feet. "Can we walk as I tell you? This is going to take a bit and I'd rather be moving while I'm talking."

Avaraleen nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. Link walked aimlessly down the walkway for a while, listening to the gravel crunching beneath his boots, before launching into a long explanation of what happened in the heart of the Lost Woods. He told her everything, from the meeting with Saria to Tamera's kidnapping to the four-to-one Dead Man's Volley match. Avaraleen listened in silence, nodding at certain parts as though things had gone exactly as she had expected, but when he told her what Beth had told him concerning the deal Zamur had made, she frowned.

"Who would he make such a deal with?" she asked, mostly to herself. "He's such a bigot, he thinks he's the strongest person alive. So who exactly is this person he's made a deal with?"

Link shrugged. "Beth didn't say. According to her, Zamur needs to have the Master Sword, you, and another woman in his possession to hold up his end of the bargain. That, and he has to have the last remaining descendent of the Hero killed."

Avaraleen laughed coldly. "He out of all people should know that is a wild goose chase. The best anyone knows it that after everything was said and done, the Hero disappeared and there's only a small reference of a great warrior appearing once somewhere in the west nearly a hundred and fifty years ago. Anyone thinking they could track him down is chasing a lost cause."

"Lost or not, it didn't stop him from attacking my home," Link growled. He turned away from her, seeing the destruction once more before him. Did she think that was funny? Was she so displaced from society that his home being destroyed was something she could laugh about?

A small hand gripped his shoulder and turned him back around. His blue eyes found her red-gold ones. "Link, I'm sorry for how that came out, but it's the truth; no one knows what happened to the Hero. No one knows if he even had a family. All there is a rumor, one with no definite evidence to disprove it. " She held his gaze for a moment longer. "It still does not condone what Zamur did."

Link sighed. "I know, but…" he looked away again, staring at an arrangement of bright red and yellow flowers without seeing them, "I just have this feeling that I'm cursed."

"In what way?" Avaraleen asked, and there was something in her voice that said she had that eyebrow raised at him.

He swallowed. This thought was the one that had been haunting him since the death of his squad, and while he kept it hidden at the back of his mind, it lingered at the edge. Now with recent events, it was popping up frequently to the point where he just couldn't push it away anymore. He'd never told anyone this, but wouldn't she out of all people understand? Taking a deep breath, he made his decision.

"Everywhere I go, trouble follows and finds those closest to me, and it is they who suffer and not me. No matter what I do, it always happens. First my village, then my squad, and now Tamera's stuck in the basement of the Forest Temple for who knows how long!" He shook his head and let out a frustrated noise. "Everyone keeps saying that the Goddesses have some kind of plan for me, but I don't see it unless it's to bring ruin on everyone."

There was a tense silence in the air, and Link waited for Avaraleen to say something, anything. Belatedly he realized he was seeking her advice as one older than him who had gone through something like this, as though she was his older sister. This was something he needed to know, and she was the only one who he could trust.

A full minute passed, and then there was a soft rustle of cloth as Avaraleen let out a long, slow breath. "If you're cursed in any way, Link, it is because you actually care for those around you. You defend and fight for people who cannot do so themselves without any consideration for yourself. Even those who are considered outcasts." Link turned back around to see her sitting on a stone bench, her gaze locked on her clasped hands in front of her. "I believe I told you before, but you are a rare person." She gave a small laugh. "Perhaps it is true what the Gerudo say."

"What do they say?" Link asked.

"A Gerudo fights with both hands to be prepared for all opponents, for while most fight with the right, it is those who fight with the left you must be on your guard for. Beware this one, for he does not fight with the head as the rest of the others, but with the heart. It is nigh near impossible to deter one such as he from his goal." Avaraleen gave him a look. "I think that sums you up quite well."

Link blinked once as he took this in. What she just said seemed to make sense, as he was an instinctive fighter. However, most of it sounded more like more of that destiny talk that everyone seemed to be going on about. Was he ever going to get away from that crap? "Maybe, but I'm not real sure that me being left handed makes me all that."

"Link, I've seen you fight; you're different than everyone." She glared at him. "Even I've have to use tricks I haven't used in years when I spar with you, but enough about that: you are not cursed and if I ever even suspect you're thinking that way, I will personally throw to off the wall into the moat. Now, was there anything else that happened in the Forest Temple? And what's with Ichor that has Lord Dotour in a bind?"

"Yes, well, after Beth disappeared, Tamera reappeared and apparently got this from the Goddesses." Link produced the green medallion from his pouch and handed it to her. As she examined it closely, he had to fight a smirk from spreading over his face. "According to the Goddesses, you should know what to do with it."

Avaraleen nodded absently. "I can sense the Forest ley lines much clearer with this," she said, but then she straightened. "Wait, did you say the Goddesses said I knew how to use it?"

"Tamera was the one who had the conversation, but that's what she said." Link fought to keep a straight face, but the dumbfounded expression on her face was priceless.

"They know about me?" she whispered. "That can't be right. I've spent my life trying not to be noticed by anyone, so why would they care for an outcast like me?"

Link only shrugged. "To quote you, I'm going to leave this up to a higher power."

Avaraleen glared at him. "Ha ha, very funny." She rubbed the back of her neck. "You better not be pulling my leg about all of this. I've got enough going on as is."

"I'm not." Deciding that he'd pushed her far enough, Link forged on with his recap of events. "Anyway, after all that, Ichor discovered that someone in Termina had assigned a Garo to follow him. She's their version of a Sheikah, and I don't think she'll take kindly to anyone attempting to stop her from doing her assignment."

"This…Garo is going to be following the two of you?" Avaraleen's expression was cold and calculating as Link nodded. "Hmm, that's definitely going to cause some problems down the road, but it does explain why Lord Dotour was quite upset." Catching Link's expression, she added, "Dotour came here accusing Hyrule of consorting with their most recent enemy only to have that blow up in his face. Now someone back home thinks it's a good idea to have one of their intelligence forces follow their most famous warriors as he's on a joint, and not to mention clandestine, mission in Hyrule with one of our famous fighters. It looks bad to him from a political standpoint, and, to be honest, I don't like it as well."

"Howcome?"

"Because everyone involved in this knows you're more valuable than Ichor. It will be all too easy for this Garo to slip a knife between your ribs and make it look like an accident while all of our planning blows to ashes." She sighed. "But we can worry about that later; by the looks of things, it's going to be some time before you two go dungeon-crawling again. I haven't heard anything from the other four. Time you'll need to rest," she added.

Link gave a mock groan. "I was afraid you were going to say that," he said in despairing tones, but in actuality, a nice long, worry-free nap sounded really good. This new…awareness was a little too uncomfortable for him.

Avaraleen raised an eyebrow, making Link think that was her favorite expression. "Get used to it. As long as you're going through dangerous places with a person I don't trust as far as I could throw him, I will be keeping tabs on you as long as you are within range of me sensing you, and trust me, it's a fairly good-size range." She stood up and slipped an arm around Link's. He only sighed once more and let her. Experience had taught him she rarely took no for an answer.

The trek up to their tower accommodations seemed to take a bit longer than he remembered, but he hadn't realized exhaustion was taking a toll. Though the whole excursion to the Lost Woods had only taken three days, it had been a tension-filled period and the loss of adrenaline had left him drained. Though he would never admit it, he was glad Avaraleen was taking his welfare to heart. Without her, he'd mostly like crash in the nearest window seat, which would not be a good idea if he wanted to play least in sight. Still, he was practically dozing on his feet by the time they got there, and she knew it.

"Ok, Hero, off to bed with you," Avaraleen said as she opened the door to their quarters. "And don't worry; I won't allow more visitors, well-wishers, or distant relations bother you."

Link scoffed. "And what about very old friends?"

"They'll get my boot if they show their faces." The look on her face declared she was not joking. "You need your rest and I'm only going to allow two things to interrupt that."

"And they are…?"

"Someone important's dying or an idiot is attempting an assault on the palace." Avaraleen put on hand on her hip and pointed towards his room with the other, her expression obvious. "You. Bed. Now."

"Alright, alright, I'm going!" Link raised both his hands as he crossed over into his room and ducked inside the door. Once inside, he unceremoniously dumped all of his equipment on the small table, stripped off his chain mail and tunic, and kicked off his boots with a sigh. Wearing nothing but his breeches, he flopped on the bed and let exhaustion take over, but not before he had one hand on the hilt of the knife he usually carried on his belt. Despite Avaraleen's assurances, he still couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right…

ooo000ooo

Avaraleen stood stock-still for ten straight minutes. Behind her, she could sense Arric and Aren were waiting for her to say something, anything, but now was not the time. Not yet at least.

When she felt enough time go by, she turned. "Aren, find Rauru and tell him I need to see him as soon as possible, but in secret. I don't want anyone else to know, but I need him to help me translate this journal." She spoke no louder than a whisper. Link should be asleep by now, but she was taking no chances. "When you've done that, I need you to learn everything you can about this Garo person following Ichor, but be careful: don't let her know you're following her. I really don't want to tell Ivan I got one of you two killed." Aren nodded and disappeared down the steps. Avaraleen turned to Arric now. "Watch the bottom of the stairs. No one comes up. Period." Arric nodded as well before following his brother out.

With a sigh, she sank into a chair. What she had said to Link was true; she didn't like the idea of another foreign warrior following him into the temples. On the other hand, if this Garo turned out to be useful, one more person watching Link's back would be a good thing…oh, for crying out loud, who was she kidding? The only way she'd ever stop worrying about him was when she could keep an eye on him herself, but with Zamur's parting gift to her, that was not going to be possible anytime soon. There was no way she could even get near the people he sent out there without collapsing.

Growling, Avaraleen leapt to her feet and began pacing. Her pathetic, useless Gerudo pride had prevented her from telling Ivan, the one person she'd hope could help her with this, and now her time was running out. Her protections only granted her a small amount of time, but each time they were broken, she'd lose more time than she gained, and they were breaking far more often to the point she was surprised she was even conscious at times. This thing was working faster than she'd originally thought. Short of putting herself in a deep magical sleep, she had absolutely no idea how she was even go to survive to the end of all this. By her estimation, she had, what, like a month left? There had to be some way for her to get rid of it, but how? The Master Sword didn't work and neither did the countless spells and infusions she'd tried. All she could do was treat the symptoms, not the cause. How was she supposed to perform a large magical working involving the very same magic that was killing her when she was dead?

Stopping before the window, she looked up at the pale blue sky. "Din, Nayru, Farore, I don't know what you're planning up there, but if you do approve of what I plan to do, then please, help me. Let me live long enough to do this. All three of you know I've never asked much for myself, but please, just this once help me." She let out a breath and looked down at the floor. "Please."

There was no answer, but then, she had expected none. With the million and one people sending up their own prayers, she really wasn't expecting an instant response, but she hoped they would soon.

Just not as soon as they did…

ooo000ooo

_All of time seemed to have frozen._

_His surroundings were dark with only a few fountains of light to give some depth to the infinite darkness. Before him rose a thin dark shade, silhouetted by a bright light behind it. In one hand it held a woman in a white dress by her throat while the other held a familiar sword._

_The woman kicked a few times before she went limp, golden light streaming from her into the shade. The shade released its grip, sending her into a motionless pile at its feet as it laughed at him. "Some Hero you are to allow others to die for you," it said in a snake's whisper and its form blurred and shifted, losing its litheness for a more menacing shape._

_No! Not another! Please don't let her be dead!_

"_And soon you shall join them!"_

_He lay on the ground, weaponless, as the shade began to walk slowly toward him. Sharp pain somewhere on his side prevented him from moving away as it finally stood over him and raised the sword, but he was able to push himself upright. He refused to look away from it, even though that the shade was clear that it was about to stab him through the heart, even with the movement out of the corner of his eye that was trying to get his attention._

_Just as the sword began to descend, a blur of color flashed by with. Something pushed him back and there was a sharp intake of breath as a sharp object pieced his chest, but only enough to break the skin._

_He looked down at the length of bloody steel before him and the blood now staining the front of his tunic and could only think one thing:_

That's not mine.

_And then he saw the body as someone said with a grunt of effort, "You first." There was a roar of pain…_

…that quickly turned into a scream of panic as Link jerked up with his knife at the ready. He held the pose for several seconds, panting, before his brain processed the fact that he was alone and what he had just seen was just a dream. A fairly creepy and way-out there type of dream. He took a deep shaky breath and released it before lowering the knife. They were getting worse, but he had a feeling that they were important, but why, he had no idea. He just hoped Avaraleen hadn't heard him, but night had fallen outside his window, so there was a good chance she was asleep already…

A gentle series of taps sounded on his door. "Link, are you alright?" Avaraleen asked.

He winced. Spoke too soon. "I'm fine," he called, but try as he might, he couldn't keep his voice from shaking.

"Are you sure?" she insisted as she opened the door. She took one look at him and immediately crossed over him. "Link, what's wrong?" she demanded as she sat next to him and placed one hand on his shoulder. "Din, you're as tight as a bowstring."

Link shook his head. "Just a bad dream," he mumbled. "Nothing to worry about."

"Link, I've seen you fight a fever brought on by a death curse that made you relive your worse memories, and you never acted like this." Avaraleen squeezed his shoulder gently. "What with this dream?"

"It's nothing!" Link snapped at her. "It's just some dream that shows up every now and then!"

Avaraleen's brow furrowed. "With a few changes each time?"

Link stared at her. "Yeah, how did you-?"

"Those aren't dreams, they're premonitions." Avaraleen chewed her bottom lip. "I don't want to know what they're about, but you better pay attention to them: the Goddesses are trying to warn you about something. The meaning may not be clear now, but in time it will."

Link looked down at his hands. "But why me? I would've thought you would get these since you know more about magic than anyone else around here."

She gave him a sympathetic smile as she rubbed his shoulder encouragingly. "I think it's because the Goddesses know I'm not up that task." She sighed. "I'm not exactly up for much now."

"What do you mean?"

"I should've told someone about this long ago, but the truth is, I'm d-"

A long, drawn-out scream, a woman's scream, made both of them jump and looked around. The scream came again, coming from somewhere outside. Running to the window, Link threw it open and looked around for the source of the screaming. A flicker of movement caught his eye and he saw two figures struggling with a third on a balcony somewhere above the main castle courtyard. He could just make out the barest hint of a rope dangling off the balcony into the courtyard below. "What in Farore's name…?"

"Those are the Princess's rooms." Avaraleen appeared at his elbow. The skin around her eyes tightened as she watched the scene unfold. "I think we just found out who the second person Zamur needed is," she commented as the two managed to subdue the third and made as though to go down the rope with their victim.

Link surveyed the ground directly below his window. It was a small expanse of open ground between the curtain wall and the castle itself, but he could see a small path that led directly to the main courtyard. "You wouldn't happen to have any rope, would you?" he asked Avaraleen.

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?" Link pointed to the ground for an answer and she nodded. "Give me a few moments." She darted out of his room. Five seconds later, she came back with a coil of light rope and looped it around the railing as Link shoved his boots on, slipped the baldric holding the Master Sword over his head and grabbed his gloves. He didn't have time for anything else as Avaraleen tossed the rope over the railing.

"You better go first," she said as she stepped back. "It's going to take me a bit."

Link nodded and grabbed the rope as he jumped over the rail. Taking a few seconds, he made sure the rope wouldn't burn anything not protected by leather and then slid down the rope as fast as he dared. Once at the bottom, he slipped into the shadows and waited for Avaraleen to descend. He was going to need her help with this, but he had to wait a minute before the rope vibrated with her descent. Once glance told him she'd torn strips from the bottom of her dress to protect her hands and to give herself more leg freedom. Her blades were strapped their customary positions on her lower back and she had a grim expression. "Let's move."

Link led the way down the narrow path he'd spotted before until they reached the edge of the courtyard. The two intruders were half-way down their rope, moving more slowly than Link and Avaraleen on account that the one farther up had the unconscious Princess slung over his shoulder. "Get as close as you can, but wait for them to reach the bottom," he heard Avaraleen hiss. "We don't want to risk them breaking her neck. We'll flank them and strike when they least expect it." He nodded and slowly made his way to a patch of deep shadows he saw to the left of the swaying rope, the closest spot to him. Avaraleen swiftly and silently moved somewhere to the right of it, one blade already out.

Once at his chosen spot, he eased out the Master Sword and held it against his body so no tell-tale gleam of metal would give him away. He couldn't see Avaraleen at all, but he hoped she was ready. Now that he thought of it, where were her two Kasha-Deem guards? They would be handy in this situation…

Grunts of effort snapped him out of his musings, and he looked up to see the two intruders were only ten feet above him. "I don't know why we even need her Highness," one of them, the one closest to the bottom, snarled softly.

"Because the master said so," snapped back the one higher up, his breath coming in short gasps with the effort of lowering himself and one other person down a rope. "Now shut up and get down there; we only got a few minutes before those guards get down here."

"Well, if you had only knifed that Sheikah in the first place, they wouldn't even know we were here," the first hissed back as he dropped the last three feet to the ground. "But noooo, you had to scare the girl into waking up with your ugly face over her and let her scream loud enough to wake the dead."

"Shut up; we got the girl, and no one will know where she is." The second let the unconscious Zelda dropped to the first before landing with a heavy thud.

"No one but me, Carrack." Avaraleen stepped out of the shadows, blade at the ready as she surveyed the two would-be kidnappers. "Give me the Princess, and both of you will live to see the castle gates."

Carrack laughed. "Two in one! What were the odds, eh, Ned?"

Link edged forward, waiting for some kind of signal, as Avaraleen sighed. "You're not going anywhere with her or me. Zamur should know by now I'd rather die than be near him again, and there is nothing you can do to stop me from doing so. Now give me the Princess."

"And if we don't?" Ned asked, hitching Zelda higher on his shoulder.

"Then you'll see exactly why most people only fight me once." The expression on her face was hard, and Link almost thought the two would do as she said, but Carrack only shook his head.

"We've got no choice in the matter," he said. "The master done sold us all in his mad quest for power. We either do what he says and die in the attempt or die slowly from disobeying him." He gave a heartless laugh as he yanked out a rusty and pitted knife. "At least with you, we know it'll be quick."

"Very well then, I did warn you." While she was still talking, she lashed out at Carrack, but he backpedaled wildly out her reach.

Out of hers, but right into Link's. He swung the Master Sword in a horizontal arch that should've cleaved the Interloper in two, but this one was fast on his feet and just his knife to divert the blow. He came back with a swift jab to Link's ribs, causing the Hylian to back flip to evade the blow. Link backed away from Carrack with a calculating look. Despite the knife's appearance, the blade was strong, however, the sessions dueling Avaraleen had taught him a short knife only had the advantage at short range, while he held the edge at mid with the reach of his sword. The trick was to get Carrack at just the right distance.

Link grinned dangerously at Carrack, mocking him. There was enough distance between them that if the Interloper charged and Link timed his swing just right, he'd end this in one blow. "Come on, Interloper," he taunted. "Or are you too afraid to face me?"

"If you knew my master, you'd know I wouldn't hesitate facing you." Carrack edged forward slowly with a knife expert's ease and Link silently cursed. This was going to be harder than he thought. Backing away slowly, he watched the muscles in Carrack's chest, trying to judge the Interloper's next move. The muscles bunched and he jumped sideways to avoid a wide sweep, but he added a roll that brought him directly behind Carrack. Sensing an opportunity that might not appear again, Link put all of his strength into a single stab. Carrack's back stiffened for a moment, then the lower half of his body went slack. Link planted one booted foot on the Interloper's back and withdrew the Master Sword as he turned, panting, to find Avaraleen.

The Sorceress was grabbling on the ground for control of a wicked-looking dagger with Ned. Zelda lay forgotten near them as Ned got on top and began to force the dagger down with both hands. Avaraleen gripped Ned's dagger hand tightly by the wrist with one hand while her free hand continually pummeled his stomach with swift jabs, but despite her efforts and with what Link knew of her, she was faring badly. Her face was sweating and she was breathing in ragged gasps.

Link was faced with two choices: intervene, or stand there and possibly allow an Interloper to get the upper hand with her. There wasn't really a choice as either way he was going to face her wrath, so he chose the lesser of the two evils. As the two of them were too close together for him to use his sword comfortably, Link aimed a hard kick to the bottom of the Interloper's rib cage and heard a satisfying crack. Ned howled in pain and Avaraleen was able to throw him off with a grunt of effort. She rolled off to the side and lay there, shuddering.

Link grabbed the collar of Ned's shirt and hauled him level with his face as he hefted the Master Sword. Normally he would've been amused by the signs of someone clawing at his face with sharp claws, but now was not the time. "What does Zamur want with Zelda and Avaraleen?" he demanded.

"It's all a part of the bargain!" Ned blurted out quickly, one eye watching the sword as its razor-sharp edge became even with his throat. "The master didn't say why, just that he needed them now!"

"Who did he make a deal with?"

"Some shady guy who appeared years ago. I don't know his name, but this deal's been around for as long as him. It's only now that's the master has gotten desperate to hold up his end!"

Link almost dropped Ned. He'd assumed that Zamur's deal was something recent, but this…this changed everything. It explained quite a few things, the attack on his village, Karamus following his squad on the hunt for the Master Sword, the constant hunt for Avaraleen, but it raised a few more questions. What was the end result? Why were Avaraleen and the Princess needed? And just who was this "shady guy?"

Shouts and running footsteps brought him out of his musings and he looked around to see a pack of seven Sheikah sprinting towards him with Arric and Aren in the lead. "Link! Do you have the Princess?" Arric gasped as he slid to a stop beside Link.

Link nodded to where Zelda still lay unconscious. "And we have a talker," he said and shoved the wide-eyed Ned towards the surrounding Sheikah. One of them grabbed the Interloper and held his arms behind his back as Link sheathed the Master Sword. "What took you so long?"

Aren glared at Ned. "This little twerp and his friend left a nice reception of Moblins at the foot of the stairs." All of the Sheikah showed marks of a skirmish. "We didn't think the king would like it if they were allowed to wander about." He eyed the scene. "But it looks like you had it handled. You injured?"

Link shook his head. "I'm fine."

"I'm not." Everyone turned to see Avaraleen on her knees beside Zelda, the first two fingers of her right hand pressed against the Princess's throat. Her left was firmly pressed on her right shoulder, but what was most frightening of all was the look in her eyes when she raised her head. "Zelda's fine, just knocked out. Her heartbeat is still strong." She was shaking uncontrollably and her breathing was still ragged.

Link dropped down beside her. "Avaraleen, what's wrong?" He gently pulled her hand away from her shoulder and saw a thin cut that wasn't deep. The light was too dim to see it clearly, but he thought he saw a dark substance mingled with her blood, almost like-

"Poison," Avaraleen gasped. "The dagger was poisoned. I only have a moment, but I'm not dying!" She tried to sound fierce, but failed. "In a few seconds, I'll be unconscious, but I'll be vulnerable. Cut the laces on my back and you will see to what extent my loyalties lie." The last bit seemed to be directed to the Sheikah surrounding her since she glared at them with enough force to make those closest to her back off a step before she looked up at Link. Slowly she placed her right hand on his shoulder and attempted to pull him closer, but her strength was gone so he leaned towards her. "Don't leave me," she whispered in his ear, and there was a note of desperation in her voice.

He pulled back a bit so he could look her in the eye. "I won't," he promised. She smiled weakly at him, then fainted dead away in his arms, but she didn't stop shaking. In fact, it seemed to have gotten worse. Link looked around, but the only edged weapons he could see were the knives Ned and Carrack had carried, and there was about to use them. "Any of you have a clean knife?" he asked the ring of Sheikah. One of them flipped out a thin-bladed dagger.

Though he loathed doing it, Link turned Avaraleen to her side and very gently began to saw through the thick laces fastening the back of her dress together at the bottom. He quickened his sawing when her breathing became pained and he could feel her forehead heating up at an alarming rate from where it rested on his arm. Several minutes later, he had cut enough of the laces to gently peel back the black cloth.

"Nayru, Din, and Farore," Link heard one of the Sheikah whisper. "How did she survive that?"

"Everyone get back," Arric said. "Aren, get Rauru, NOW!"

Link heard pounding feet, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. There, on a patch of skin roughly five inches long, was what Zamur had done to her. And it looked bad…

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Oh, I just love cliff-hangers, don't you? I promise to reveal what all's going on…in the next chapter. What? I couldn't fit it all in one chapter or it would've been way too long! Besides, I like a little suspense.<p>

So, huge virtual cookie opportunity! Somewhere in this chapter I used a few lines from the Lord of the Rings, specifically from the first one. Huge cookie to whoever finds it! ****small voice**** What? I couldn't resist…

Well, I'm going to cut this one short, as I really don't think Barnes liked my little April Fool's joke of leaving a few lanterns (unlit ones!) around his shop, so I'm got to run, literally, before he finds me ****small voice** **Dude, it was like, three days ago! ****normal voice**** So, until next time, dragoness of storm, out! See ya!


	15. The Will of the Princess

Special thanks to: Riku Uzumaki and…no one else but the anonymous readers? Um, we will be having a talk about this later.

On with the story.

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><p>There was no way to deny it, Link was terrified. Most of the fear came from the simple truth that Avaraleen was dying.<p>

The rest came from the fact that, even though she was unconscious, she had a grip on his left forearm tight enough that he could feel her nails through the thick leather of his glove. Any attempt to pull away only resulted in her gripping tighter and he was slowly losing feeling in that arm. As a result, he was sitting beside her on the single bed to maintain contact.

He looked up to where Rauru stood. "Can't you do anything?" he asked, hearing his voice break, but whether it was a result of his fear or the pain shooting from his arm, he couldn't tell.

Rauru slowly shook his head. "I've done all I can, Link, but this is far beyond my skills."

The three of them were in one of the more private rooms in the infirmary. Link had brought Avaraleen here as fast as he could and what healers were around did as much as they were able to until Rauru came charging in. As a well-known mage of Light magic, Link was certain the older man would be able to stop the Dasteir brand from killing her, but he was only able to slow its effects. She was now asleep on her side without shuddering and her breathing was deep and even, but her temperature was still slightly higher than normal and, according to Rauru, it was only going to get worse.

Link felt his gorge rise as he looked down at the cause of all this. The healers had cut away most of the back of her dress to expose the Dasteir brand. In the shape of the spread eagle that was a part of the Hylian Royal Crest, the brand was still black, as though it was still fresh and the skin around it was puffy with infection. Dark red streaks grew out from the edges and the slightest touch caused her to wince and curl up protectively. On advice from the healers, Link occasionally raised Avaraleen's head and allowed a trickle of water he'd poured into a cup to flow into her mouth in a vain attempt to stave off the fever that threatened to set in again.

"Is there anything we can do?" Link asked, gently laying her back down after one such session.

Rauru sighed. "Aren is attempting to get a hold of Ivan somehow, and we need his council to proceed. Until then, all we can do is pray."

While he was still speaking, Aren burst into the room holding a small blue stone. "I got him!" he said as he thrust the stone at Rauru.

"Good, now get out of there and go get the king." Link froze as he heard Ivan's voice coming from the stone. How was he able to speak from Kakariko to the castle through a stone? Avaraleen groaned softly and turned away from the general direction of the Sheikah, distracting Link from his thoughts.

Aren ran out of the room again, slamming the door close in his wake as Rauru raised the stone level with his face. "Why do we need the king?" he asked, obviously familiar with this odd form of communication.

"I'll explain when he gets here. It's a little complicated and I don't want to go through it more than once." Ivan sounded worried, but his voice was firmed. "In the meantime, how bad is it?"

"Very. I've put a simple protection on her, but she's somehow in a deeper sleep than normal." Rauru laid the back of his hand against her forehead. "She's warm, but not yet at the level of a fever."

"What of the brand?"

"It is black with red streaks coming from the edges. Most of the streaks are about three inches long and there is infection around the brand."

There was a sharp intake of breath. "How long did she think she could survive this?" Ivan demanded. "This is in the advance stages!" He let out an angry sigh. "Thankfully she's still alive, so we have a chance."

"Is there any way to make her let go of my arm?" Link asked. "Because I seriously can't feel it right now."

"Is that Link?" Ivan asked.

"Hello to you too, Ivan," Link said. "And before you ask why I'm here, well, let's just say I was around when all of this happened and she latched on and won't let go."

"Probably for the best." Ivan sounded as though he was half-talking to himself. "She'll need someone she trusts if this thing works." He went silent for a moment, then came back. "Rauru, you said something about her being in a deeper sleep than normal. What did you mean?"

"The protection I gave her only blocked surrounding Shadow magic, not what she generates on her own." Rauru was concerned. "Since she is half-Sheikah, she should not be in as deep in sleep as she is now. Her own magic should be affecting her as well."

"Have either of you tried calling her name?" A harsh female voice now chimed in, and Link could only think of one person before Ivan confirmed the fact.

"Navarra! How did you-?"

"Ask me no more questions, and I'll tell you no more lies." Wherever Navarra was, she was in no mood to be trifled with. "Now, have either of you called her name?"

"I have, but she didn't respond," Link said.

"I figured as much." There was grim satisfaction in her voice. "Your magic may be killing her, Ivan, but it is mine that's keeping her alive now."

"And what do you mean by that?" Ivan demanded.

Navarra sighed as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's one of the first skills any Gerudo mage learns, a suspended sleep. It the reason there is a mage in every Gerudo patrol for it is how we can survive out in the desert if we are caught in a sudden sandstorm, and she can probably last a week like this. That's why she's hanging on to you, Link. You're her trigger to wake up so she can get rid of the thing."

Link was confused. "Her what?"

"Trigger. When a group is caught in a storm, the mage among them puts them all asleep until the storm passes. The mage's connection with the desert will inform her when the storm is over, and she in turn will wake the others. That's exactly what she's done: Avaraleen won't wake until _you_ are certain she'll survive."

"How will she know that I know she'll survive?"

"The magic of the desert is Spirit magic, idiot!" Navarra half-shouted at him. "There's a light bond between your spirit and hers, so when you know, she'll know!"

Link looked away from the stone with a sheepish look. "Well, sorry if I don't know a lot about magic."

Navarra sighed. "Don't worry about it, Link. It's just that, Avaraleen's never really been this over her head before and well…I'm worried for my sister."

"You, a Gerudo, worried over someone not a part of your tribe? How shocking," Ivan commented.

"Oh, like you're one to talk," Navarra snapped back. "I've heard how she had to fight her way into the caverns, and _your_ people usually take in anyone with barely a drop of Sheikah blood."

"Enough, the both of you," Rauru growled. "This pointless debate is one you can settle at a later date." He breathed heavily, glaring at the stone. "Now, is there anything we can do to help Avaraleen right now?"

Ivan let out an angry noise. "Just…just keep her comfortable and try to keep that fever from setting in. There's nothing you really can do until the king arrives."

"Except pray," Navarra whispered, and for once, Ivan didn't have an argument with her.

Link looked down at the still-sleeping Avaraleen. He preferred her like this than in the shuddering, shallow-breathing state she was in earlier. It was only a matter of time before he had to wake her up again. In the background, he could hear Navarra crooning a soft song in Gerudo, most likely for Avaraleen's benefit, but Link found it oddly relaxing, if only a little bit.

The door slamming open made him jump and twist around to see who it was. Never before had he been so glad to see the king. He made to rise, but Avaraleen tightened her grip yet again, forcing him to stay seated. "Your Majesty," he said with a half bow.

Daphne looked as though he had been dragged out of bed with a rich red robe thrown hastily over his white nightshirt. "Is my daughter alright?" he asked in a panicked voice.

Rauru stepped forward. "The Princess is well, but it is Avaraleen who needs your help."

"The Sorceress…?" Daphne looked down on the bed and seemed to notice the Sorceress for the first time. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's near the final stage of the Dastier brand, Sire," Ivan said loudly from the stone Rauru held. "She needs you to remove it, or she will die within the next week."

The king looked from the brand to the stone and back again. "Who put it on her in the first place?"

"Zamur did. He managed to capture her and tortured her months ago in the hopes that she would join him once again. Placing the brand on her had to be a last resort," Ivan replied. "I believe he thought that by doing so, she would eventually return to him."

"Too bad he forgot to factor in her stubbornness when it comes to something she absolutely hates," Navarra chipped in. "She'd never go back to him, which is why she's the way she is right now."

"I know you have your misgivings about her, Sire," Ivan said, "but the law does say a member of the Royal Family has the power to remove a wrongfully placed Dastier brand."

"And considering Zamur was, and still is, high up on the most wanted list, I'll say it was wrongfully placed," Navarra added.

The king nodded. "The law does say that." He hefted a sigh. "But I am not convinced she is as trustworthy as all if you say she is."

Silence permeated the room at all four of them took in what the king just said. Finally, after several minutes, Rauru broke the silence. "May we ask why you are not convinced, Your Majesty?"

"All of you swear she is not against Hyrule, but others, some of them your assistants, say otherwise." Daphne inclined his head thoughtfully towards the blue stone. "There are reports based on concert facts of her involvement in several acts against the Crown, including theft, assault, and murder."

"Oh, Nayru, I forgot about that," Ivan murmured. "The murder charge is a false one. Someone set her up to take the blame. As for the assault and theft charges, let me guess, several nobles are on the list of those she offended?"

"If that's the case, they had something she needed right at that moment," Navarra said. "Avaraleen's not one to steal something unless it's useful in any way for her or someone she knows."

"And you know this how?" Daphne asked.

There was a heavy sigh. "Avaraleen's my half sister through blood," Navarra said with a low growl. "Our mother taught us the value of not stealing everything not nailed down without a reason. And if you let her die for charges every single Sheikah and Gerudo has, Daphne, then I will personally bring down the whole might of the Fortress on you. No one will admit it in her earshot, but she's the best in the entire Fortress."

"And in the Caverns," Ivan added. "They don't mention her by name, but I've heard several of the older instructors tell their students to quit complaining, that they have an easier time than someone else. Sire, you may not like her methods, and for all we know she probably hates you for your decision about the Interlopers who surrendered, but the truth is, she needs your help, and we need her."

Avaraleen at this time shifted slightly so her face was pointed more towards the king and released a deep breath. Even while in a deep sleep, she managed to say, "Get a move on, will you? I don't have all day." Link raised his eyebrow at this, but then decided to add his voice to the argument. "Sire, if she was truly against us, I would already be dead by now. Instead, she came out of the Lost Woods fully knowing the risks she was taking, gave Ichor and I advice on how to survive the Forest Temple, and she just saved your daughter's life. Not once as she asked for any kind of help, until now."

Daphne opened his mouth to argue further, but a new voice chimed in. "Well if you won't, Father, I will." Standing in the doorway, was Zelda herself, clutching a robe over her thin nightgown. She looked a little worse for wear, but the expression on her face brooked no argument as she strode into the room.

The king went to grab her arm. "Zelda, what are you doing?"

She pulled away from him. "Doing what you refused to because you want to save your image among the nobles." With swift strides, she crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed opposite Link. Grimacing at the sickly sight of the inflamed brand, she took a deep breath. "Ivan, what do I need to do?"

Ivan mumbled incoherently to himself for a second. "Aha, here it is. You must place the palm of your left hand firmly over the brand and your right over her heart. Then, when she's awake, you must first prove your authority to remove the brand by saying who you are and then say she is forgiven of that which she has been wrongfully convicted of."

"Do I need to be specific on what I'm forgiving her of?" Zelda asked.

"Uh…" There came the sound of rustling parchment. "It doesn't say, but seeing how this is usually put on traitors, and all of us know she's not one, I believe you just implying that should be sufficient."

"Alright then." Carefully, Zelda put her hands exactly where Ivan had said, although it was obvious she was squeamish about touching the brand, but Link couldn't blame her for that: the thing looked disgusting. "I'm ready."

"Alright, Link, wake her u- wait!" Ivan sounded a little frazzled. "Does anyone have something she can bite down on? I have a feeling this is going to hurt." Rauru produced a leather-wrapped dowel from a pocket and Link gently wedged it between Avaraleen's teeth. She must have sense they were on to something as she didn't fight him. With that done, Link looked at the stone. "We're ready."

"Remember, Link, you have to be absolutely sure this is going to work for her to wake up," Navarra said.

"Ivan?" Link asked. He had no idea what was about to happen or where Ivan was getting his information, so he wanted the Sheikah's absolute assurance that this was going to work.

"Everything I've said comes from this really old text written by a Sheikah long ago," Ivan said firmly. "I've read his work before and so far, he's been accurate. I have no reason to doubt what he says here."

"Okay, then here we go." Link looked down at Avaraleen and took a deep breath. "Avaraleen, it's time."

The Sorceress's eyes opened immediately and there was a brief moment when she took everything in before she bit down hard on the dowel and released a pained groan. Link felt the pressure increase on his arm, but it was only momentary. When the fit passed, she looked up at him with grim determination and gave a tiny nod. "Zelda, now!" Link shouted.

Zelda took a deep breath. "I am Zelda, daughter of Daphne, King of Hyrule," she said firmly. "Avaraleen, you are forgiven of the crimes for which you have been wrongfully convicted of!"

Link felt his eyes widen as Avaraleen's hand suddenly tightened with more force than ever before and he had to fight the urge to clench his first, as that would only make the pain worse. Instead he turned away from the two women as a bright light emitted directly from where Zelda had her hand pressed against the Dastier brand and tried to focus on something other than the tight vise on his arm.

_Ah, Goddesses, it hurts as much as getting it on_. That thought definitely wasn't his as it had a female voice to it, and it sounded more like something Avaraleen would say. There was an edge of great pain behind it too. Was he somehow hearing her thoughts?

_Oh, I am so going to disembowel him very slowly and leave him belly-up in the desert to rot, after I painfully remove something very dear to him!_ Yep, that was her. No one else he knew had that big of a grudge against Zamur, and if he had correctly interpreted what she'd meant, he and every other male better be well away from her when she finally found Zamur because it was not going to be pretty. Or even pleasant for anyone watching.

It was her last coherent thought, for something happened that increased her grip even tighter and she mentally screamed as she tugged his arm closer to herself. But the fit seemed to be the brand's last effort, for the pain he felt coming from her soon lessened and he felt her grip (thankfully) lessen, allowing some feeling to come back to his arm. Sensing it was over, he turned back around.

Zelda pulled her hands away from Avaraleen with an apprehensive expression. The Sorceress lay motionless on the bed, eyes closed, chest unnaturally still, but the brand had changed: it had turned white and the red streaks had disappeared along with the signs of infection. Zelda looked up at Link with horror, her mouth half open with a question he knew she couldn't ask out loud, and it wasn't one he wanted to answer anyway. For all he knew, Avaraleen was d-

She gave a great shuddering gasp and opened her eyes, causing Link to release a breath he hadn't know he had been holding. Avaraleen was alive.

"Will someone please tell me whether or not it worked?!" Everyone turned to the small blue stone Rauru still held as Navarra shouted through it.

Avaraleen coughed and winced. "Keep your hair on, Navarra," she growled, harshly. "I'm still alive." She went to push herself upright, but her arms refused to take her weight and she collapsed with a painful hiss.

"Don't even think about leaving," Ivan said. He must have heard her attempt to move. "You're bed-ridden for the next three weeks."

Avaraleen glared at the stone. "Not likely," she hissed. "I know my limits, Ivan. How else did you think I lasted this long?"

If Ivan had been in the room, Link was certain he'd been fuming. "Will you for once listen to those around you? You are just as impossible as your father!" he yelled.

"If my mother was anything to go by, stubbornness is hereditary 'cause she was my first teacher on that subject." Avaraleen smirked. "Navarra can tell you that."

"Well, then someone better get this in writing, because I'm agreeing with Ivan for once," Navarra snapped. "Avaraleen, you better stay put, or Din help me I'll send someone to dog your steps worse than the two you have now!"

"If that's the case, send 'em on over. I'll lose 'em like I lost everyone else." Her voice betrayed her condition: Avaraleen was exhausted, but she just didn't want to admit it.

Thankfully Rauru stepped in. "I believe we can settle this later," he said in his calm deep voice. "It is late, and many of us would like to get what little rest we are able to. Tonight's attack has caused a great up stir in the castle, but we will be able to concentrate better in the morning."

There were grumbles and agreements all around as the king and Zelda left the room, but Link kept silent. For some reason, he still was hyped up on the recent action. Sleep was the last thing on his mind. In fact, had someone pointed one out to him, he might've gone dungeon crawling again.

"Link, get some sleep," Avaraleen said firmly. She must've seen the expression on his face. "And don't let me catch you sleeping outside the door!"

Link only gave a shrugged, hoping that his face didn't betray the fact that he had been thinking of doing just that. "You listen to the healers," he said.

Rauru stepped in between them. "Enough, both of you," he said as he pulled out a small bottle. "Avaraleen, drink this. Link, help her up." Link gently lifted Avaraleen so that she was half-sitting against him. Slowly, she drank the liquid in the bottle and grimaced.

"I've forgotten how sweet that stuff is," she murmured sleepily before her eyelids fell. Link laid her back down and quietly slipped out of the room behind Rauru.

"Link, I need to speak to you for a moment," Rauru said softly.

Link glanced up at the King's Advisor. "What is it?" he asked, rubbing his left arm. Avaraleen had left a bruise there, he could feel it.

Rauru glanced over at the closed door, obviously troubled. "Despite what she said, I would like for you to stay here and keep an eye on Avaraleen. She will try to hide it, but the amount of magic needed to heal her was enormous and took a great deal out of her. The potion I gave her will help with the offset of the drain of power, but it will take time for her to recover."

Link gave him a look. "You do know she won't listen to anyone right now."

"I don't care." Rauru heaved a sigh. "She may not know it, but I feel the hand of Destiny is upon her almost as strong as it is on you and the Princess. She is a key to this, though I know not how or why."

Link felt the urge to grab his forehead in annoyance. _Here we go with the Fate/Destiny crap again_, he thought. _Can't people talked about anything else these days?_

Rauru must have seen his frustration, for he said, "I know most of this talk of Destiny is becoming increasingly dull for you, but the point is still the same: someone needs to keep an eye on Avaraleen or she will attempt to run before she can stand."

Link nodded. "You have a point there." Looking around, he found a convenient padded chair nearby and dragged it right next to the door. "I'll keep an eye on her."

"One more thing…" Link looked up to see Rauru hiding a grin. "I highly suggest you find a shirt." He covertly pointed behind Link, who turned and saw a small group of women of mixed ages, the younger ones giggling, the elders glaring. He suddenly remembered that he had run out of his room with no shirt on, and so he subconsciously folded his arms over his bare chest.

Thankfully one of the elder women took pity on him and handed him an old shirt. "Here, put this on before you distract my girls," she snapped at him.

Link quickly took off the Master Sword and gratefully slipped on the shirt, much to the displeasure of the young women as he heard several sighs. He looked up and one of them winked at him. He felt heat rush to his face, so he made a pretense of scratching the back of his head to hide his face as he turned to Rauru, mouthing "help."

The King's Advisor merely shrugged and whispered, "Eleanor will keep them from bothering you. Good night, Link."

"'Night, Rauru," Link replied as he flopped into his chair and laid the Master Sword across his lap. _I wonder; will I get any sleep tonight?_

ooo000ooo

"What part of 'don't let me catch you sleeping outside the door' didn't you get?" Link opened his eyes to see Avaraleen sitting up in her bed, one coppery eyebrow raised at him as she glared at him through the opened door.

He stretched out his arms in front of him. "Someone had to keep an eye on you," he retorted, "and it wasn't as though I was going to get any sleep anyways." It was true: he had spent the night half-dozing in the chair with one hand on the hilt of the Master Sword, ready to react to the smallest hint of trouble, but thankfully, it had been uneventful. He eyed the opened door. "Wasn't that closed last night?" he asked.

Avaraleen held up a coil of what appeared to be braided brown leather and flicked it at him. The barest tip of a whip tapped his ear, and he glared at her. "That's for not listening to me," she growled as she coiled her whip again, but her usual force wasn't behind the growl.

Link rubbed his ear. "Yeah, well, I'll do it again." He waited for her to put the whip away before he ventured farther into her room. "How are you?"

She grimaced as she leaned back against her pillow. "A lot better than before, but not good." Her face seemed to have a greenish tinge to it, and she had arm wrapped around her bare stomach. "Link, I need you to find me a bucket."

"Why?" he asked, but then regretted it when she gave him a look.

"Do I really need to spell it out for you?" she snapped.

Link backed out of the room. "Got it!" Running through the infirmary, he found Eleanor. "Do you have a bucket?" he asked her fervently.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she went into a storage room and picked up a small metal basin from a stack of them.

"Avaraleen's looking green," he said as he followed her back towards Avaraleen's room, and not too soon. The Sorceress had her hair pulled back with one hand while the other was still wrapped around her stomach as she gazed somewhere near her lap. Eleanor took one look at her before thrusting the basin underneath her. Avaraleen gave a grunt of thanks, but otherwise ignored them as she kept her eyes fixed on that one spot.

Eleanor frowned. "Link, stay here and keep an eye on her. I'll go get some broth."

"No good," Avaraleen rasped. "I won't be able to keep it down. Just flat-" she heaved and bent over the basin. A thin clear liquid spattered against the silver metal and Link swallowed hard, feeling his own stomach trying to rebel. Avaraleen finally straightened again and let out a breath. "Flatbread and water are the only things I'll be able to keep down for now."

Eleanor raised an eyebrow. "And you're sure about this how?"

"Because this would make the fourth time this stuff's been used on me." Avaraleen kept her eyes closed as she leaned back. "And each time I wonder why it's legal."

"It's barely legal, my dear, and we need it to combat enemy mages." Rauru had appeared in the doorway without anyone noticing. He now came in with a worried look. "Four times?" he repeated.

"Once apiece with the Gerudo and the Sheikah as a part of their training to make me familiar with its effects, and the third was when Zamur captured me several months ago." She cracked open one eye, grimaced, and closed it again. "Don't even ask about the third time 'cause that's all I'm saying about it."

"Who's asking?" Link said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He'd long come to the conclusion that what happened back then was her business and she would talk about it when she wanted to. "I just what to know what you two are talking about being 'barely legal'."

"A substance that renders a mage unconscious and causes all of their on-going spells to be cancelled," Rauru explained. "It was what was coating the knives the two Interlopers were using last night."

"And it has nasty side-effects," Avaraleen added, "but it depends upon the mage as the effects differ from person to person. For me, I can't keep any food down for a while." She grimaced. "And I hate every minute of it."

Eleanor coughed. "So, you say flatbread and water?" she asked.

Avaraleen nodded. "If no one knows how to make it, I can write down the recipe," she offered, but Eleanor shook her head.

"No need," the healer said as she walked out of the room. "Marian spent a year in the Fortress learning the Gerudo's methods of healing and that was one of the things she would eat willingly, so she learned how to make it."

Avaraleen frowned. "Moldrum and Peahat aren't that bad," she murmured. "It's the Leever you have to watch out for." Sighing, she pressed her arm against her stomach. "So what exactly happened last night? Last thing I remember is collapsing from that scratch on my shoulder then waking up here to argue with Navarra and Ivan."

"Pretty much I brought you here and we tried to get the King to remove the brand, but he refused, so the Princess did it," Link said. "And you left a bruise on my arm." He pulled off his left glove to show her.

"Sorry about that, but that thing hurt like you wouldn't believe." There was a small note of apology in her voice, which Link contented himself with. She opened her eyes and seemed to see everyone in the room. "By the way, where's Shadows One and Two? Usually I can't sneeze without those two being in the way."

"Arric's at the entrance to the infirmary and Aren's patrolling all possible ways in and out to make sure you don't try leaving," Rauru said.

"Yeah, well you can tell them to cool it." Avaraleen pushed herself upright. "I won't be trying that for some time, but who am I kidding? They won't believe me." She chewed her bottom lip before looking up at Rauru. "How good is your Ancient Hylian?"

Rauru frowned. "I am proficient enough. Why do you ask?"

"This." She pulled out the journal Link had brought back from the Forest Temple. "Link and Ichor brought this back from the Forest Temple. From what they found out, this belonged to the sect originally looking for the Master Sword, so it might have some information that we could use. It's encoded, but I can break it, but it's also written in Ancient Hylian, which very few can read."

Rauru looked interested. "If you would decode it, I will certainly translate what I can."

"Thank you, but I won't be able to work on it, for obvious reasons." Avaraleen Looked over at Link. "Get Arric in here so he can start decoding this, and tell him he can keep an eye on me at the same time. Then get out of here and go do something constructive. You'll do no good here worrying over me."

Link rolled his eyes. "I've given up arguing with you a long time ago," he said with mock-weariness, but he respected her wishes and left the infirmary. Arric was a little hard to find, but eventually he spotted the Sheikah standing half-hidden in a dark corner, one eye on the infirmary door, the other on the corridor outside. Link walked up to him. "You can relax," he said. "She's not going anywhere."

"Did she tell you to say that?" Arric said quietly.

"Actually, she wants you to help decode a journal," Link said casually. "And she said, and I quote, you can keep an eye on her at the same time."

Arric frowned thoughtfully. "That would make my job easier," he said, "for she is well known to attempt to leave before she is supposed to." He sighed. "It is to be suspected of the daughter of Stephen."

Link raised his eyebrow at this. "What is with Stephen and the rest of the Sheikah? I've heard Ivan and now you talk about him, but all I know is that he was Avaraleen's father."

Arric shrugged. "I really don't know all that much. The elders say Stephen was a brave and cunning fighter and there was a rumor that he was one of the Kasha-Deem, but no one ever confirms nor denies it."

"Who exactly are the Kasha-Deem?" Link asked. "I know you and Aren are a part of them, but all anyone will tell me is that I really don't want you guys on my tail."

"The Kasha-Deem are the attempt to end the rift between the Sheikah and the Gerudo with each having a select group of their most elite fighters in their tribes to be able to work with each other if needed." Arric smiled ruefully. "Unfortunately this arrangement serves mostly as a way to prove whose warriors are better than the others, but it would be interesting if Stephen was one of us."

Link was intrigued. "Why is that?"

"Well, there's this obscure law that says the child of a Gerudo and a Sheikah Kasha-Deem would not be subjective to the same laws as the parents, for the laws of a Sheikah are very different from the Gerudo." Arric rubbed his chin. "And Avaraleen is already in already in such a predicament now."

Link scoffed. "She listens to no one but herself. And the Goddesses," he added after a while.

"Exactly." Arric nodded. "If she is, then she's a legend. If not, well…"

"She's the same old lady who can throw us from one end of the practice court to the other without breaking a sweat," Link said.

Arric laughed. "True enough." He sighed. "I better get in there before she comes out to get me."

Link shook his head. "Rauru's in there, so she's not leaving that room for a while, but she might yell." Turning to walk away, he remembered one more thing. "Watch out for that whip of hers! She's already using it."

Arric rolled his eyes. "Great. The one weapon I know she can turn against me. Why, Nayru, why does she have to know how to turn my favorite weapon against me?" The Sheikah entered the infirmary with a woebegone look.

Link watched him go with a puzzled look. So even the stern Sheikah had a sense of humor. That was new, but he shook his head. His comment about Avaraleen fighting skills came to mind, as did her suggestion to do something constructive. He set off down the corridors in search of a deserted practice court. A little practice wouldn't hurt…

ooo000ooo

"I still don't see why you keep practicing!" Rick said as he fended off a flurry of lighting fast strikes. "You're already good enough!"

"I've told you, I need the exercise, or I'm just going to drive everyone insane." Link backed away a little as he watched Rick's sword. He was giving the impression that he was about to attempt a horizontal slash, but Link knew from past experience that he was really going for a vertical cut that was potentially devastating if one wasn't aware of it, and there was something he wanted to try out. Rick's cut left him vulnerable in the back and though he recovered quickly from it, Link had an idea to take advantage of the split second opening. It all was just a matter of timing…

Here it came! As the sword descended, Link jumped to the side, rolled, and stopped his sword an inch from Rick's side. Rick had only a moment to marvel at the scene before Garret jumped in with a ferocious combination of diagonal slashes that would've cleaved Link in half had he not back-flipped out of there. Rick got out of the way as Link came back with a fast jump attack that left Garret scrambling backwards, but he quickly recovered and went for a hard thrust to Link's stomach. Link sidestepped out of dodge before unleashing a fast spin that knocked Garret to the ground.

"Ok, man, I'm done!" he said, hands in the air. "I have to agree with Rick, you're good enough!"

Link let his sword point drop as he let out an explosive breath. "I'm just so keyed up, guys," he said. "With what all happened, I'm not sure when the next invasion or attack's going to be, so either I take out my frustration on the practice courts or on the next noble who thinks I'm some sort of idol."

"Din's Fire, Link, you need to calm down." Rick came over with a water skin, which Link accepted gratefully and took a huge swing from it before passing it to Garret. "You don't even know if there's going to be another attack."

"Well, think of it this way: if I expected one, I won't be too caught off-guard." Link gave them a grin. "And if not, then I'm not too disappointed."

"Oh, crap, don't let our commander here you or he'll be preaching that soon." Garret handed the skin back to Rick. "Although, it's not a bad way of thinking when you take a moment."

"Huh, and I wonder why he's not a general yet," Rick commented as he took a swing from the skin.

"'Cause I don't want the headache of dealing with guys like you _and_ whatever nobles come my way," Link said as he leaned over and snagged the skin. "Life is hard enough as is without it." He was about to take another drink when running feet made him turn around and raise his sword.

Aren came sliding to a stop at the entrance to the guardsmen practice court next to the barracks where Link had spent the past week honing his skills with anyone who'd bother, looked around for a moment, cursed silently, then fixed his gaze on Link. "Link, I need to talk to you," he said in a low voice.

Link lowered the Master Sword and shrugged at Rick and Garret. "Sorry guys, but it looks like duty calls. Again."

"Don't envy you there, man," Rick said as he left the practice court. "Come on, Garret, let's go get lunch." Garret followed with an impish grin, causing Link to roll his eyes and glared at the two of them as they disappeared around the corner. Only when they were gone did Link turn back to the Sheikah.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Have you seen her?" Aren asked fervently.

"Which her?" he asked, though he had an idea who the Sheikah was referring to. "There's quite a few of them around here."

"Avaraleen!" the Sheikah cried as though it was the most obvious thing. "She disappeared from the infirmary an hour ago and no one knows where's she's gone!"

Link raised an eyebrow, slightly amused. "I'd figured as much," he said and heaved a sigh. "Alright then, who's looking where?"

"Arric's searching the east side, Rauru has the nobles' wing and I just looked in the barracks and the stables."

"Has anyone checked Market Town yet?" Link looked over at Aren and shrugged. "It's a possibility," he said. "She's got several friends there."

The Sheikah nodded. "I'm off to check the secret passageways in this area, so start looking where you see best." He disappeared out of the practice court.

Rotating his neck, Link sighed, but didn't move. The way he saw it, Avaraleen knew when she was fit enough to leave the infirmary. She'd been on her own for long enough to know what she could and couldn't do. For Nayru's sake, she was a healer herself! He could she didn't like people fussing over her as much as he did, so he was content to let do as she wished, as long as she didn't kill herself doing it. Besides, he believed he'd just found her…

He could hear an ocarina playing as he climbed the last few stairs of the lookout tower that overshadowed the barracks. He'd spotted the outline of a slight figure sitting on the edge of the balcony encircling the top after Aren had left the practice court. If he knew anything about Avaraleen, that was where she most likely hiding at: a place to see, but not be seen. Just outside the door, Link hesitated, not wanting to interrupted her, but then he pushed it opened.

Indeed it was Avaraleen sitting on the railing, playing her blue ocarina while her eyes scanned the view before her, the brisk western wind whipping her hair behind her. She had exchanged her usual black dress for a grey robe that had seen better days as it was torn in several places around the sleeves and hem. Link hopped up on the railing nearby and joined her. The view up her was great: on a clear day, one could almost see the rocky cliffs that marked the edge of the Gerudo Desert. Today, however, they were hidden by a bank of low dark clouds and for some reason, the song Avaraleen was playing, a rather fast-paced one with a very catchy rhythm, reminded him of a storm.

She ended the song and lowered the ocarina, but did not remove her gaze from the clouds. "Storm's coming in," she said softly.

"So it seems," Link agreed, nodding at the line of darkness. "I'd say it's going to be here in a few hours."

"I'll take it they just found out I disappeared from the infirmary," she said, the corner of her mouth curling up in a wry smile.

"The twins and Rauru have been looking for you for about an hour." Link had to grin at the thought of those three frantically searching the castle when she was right above them. "They probably have someone looking in Market Town by now."

"Rule one about hunters, they rarely look up." Avaraleen shifted on the railing. "I merely took advantage of that, and you obviously found me by doing just that."

"Completely by accident," Link said. "I just happened to glance up and you must have moved since something caught my eye and I saw you up here." He looked out at the landscape before him. "They really need to start using this place again." The guards used to use the two lookout towers at the front of the castle as a part of their patrols. Not only did they have a great view of the land beyond Market Town, they also could see several of the courtyards and open spaces in the castle itself. It should have been hard for anyone to move around this place unnoticed, but for some reason, the guards had stopped using the towers shortly after the war.

"Well, several nobles complained when they realized the guards could see them, ahem, getting it on in the courtyards from up here." Avaraleen seemed a little embraced as she spoke and, when Link glanced at her, she seemed a little flushed.

"I'll take it you were seen from up here," he guessed.

Avaraleen shook her head. "No, I was the one doing the seeing. I was up here about ten years ago when I saw three, THREE mind you, couples, all in different courtyards." She shuddered at the thought. "What made it really bad, I couldn't leave because I was the lookout for a friend while he was, um, collecting several items that had been borrowed from him and I had already knocked out the two guards up here, so I had to make sure they didn't wake up and raise the alarm until after we left."

Link raised an eyebrow. "And why was your friend… collecting these items?"

Avaraleen snorted. "Because the dumb noble tried to double cross him and only pay him half the price agreed on. I really didn't care about the payment, but my friend needed the money, so I agreed. Now that I think about it, I should've passed up the whole thing. It was such a disaster…" She trailed off and sighed. "So, Zelda was the one who healed me?" It really wasn't a question, but Link nodded anyway and she tapped her fingers against the railing. "We'll have to watch our step around her. The Princess is…different."

Link tilted his head. "How so?"

She let out a slow breath. "You remember how I was able to heal you back in the Lost Woods, when you were able to see my magic?" Link nodded. "Zelda healed me in a similar way, but her magic is like nothing I have ever seen before…" She shook her head and changed subjects. "I hope you're not here to convince me to go back to the infirmary, because I'm not listening."

"Nope. I figured that since you'd been on your own for so long, you'd know when you could leave." Link gave her a shrug. "That, and you're a healer yourself."

"Haven't you heard that healers make the worse patients? " She raised her eyebrow at his confused expression. "It's true, but you are right; my years of self-exile have taught me my limits and I know them all too well."

There came a cry of exasperation from below. Link looked down to see one of the twins (it was hard to see who it was from that distance) throwing his hands up in defeat as he fruitlessly searched the courtyard. Link could hear Avaraleen snort in amusement and shake her head as they watched the Sheikah stalked away from the courtyard to continue his search. "You know, I am feeling a little sorry for them, because I believe no one has told them that I am very good at breaking out of places," she said.

Link chuckled. "But then you would miss the entertainment of having them find that out for themselves."

"Well, it may be fun for you two, but when it's out necks on the line, we take it quite seriously." Link and Avaraleen turned to see Aren glowering at her from the door before he turned his glare to Link. "I see you found her."

Link merely shrugged. "I just looked up."

"Oh, go ahead, tell him all of my secrets." Avaraleen slid off the railing to lean against it. "All that training and they never taught you only the hunted never look up?" She clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Those who wish to be hunters must learn to look in all directions for their prey. What are they teaching you in those caverns these days?"

"I'll keep that in mind," Aren said, obviously not impressed. "But we've got bigger problems on our hands right now: the king wants to see you, now."

"Which 'you'?" Avaraleen asked. "There's only several people in this place who answer to that name."

Aren's palm connected with his face. "Are you two related? Don't answer that." He took a deep breath and released it angrily. "He wants to see both of you, right now, in the council chamber you used before. And he says for you," he pointed at Avaraleen, "to move with as much discretion as possible."

Link sighed. "What does he want now, me to kill myself in public?" he asked to no one in particular. "He's already got me dungeon-crawling with a giant who has a knife-wielding shadow that probably hates me for no apparent reason."

"I don't think so, if Daphne is reminding me to do something I already do without trying." Avaraleen chewed on her lower lip. "He's got something in mind, I just don't see what." She shook her head. "The only way to find out is to go there ourselves. I'll go first. Wait five minutes, then start heading down there."

"And why should we let you go alone?" Aren asked. "I just found you, and I'm not letting you out of my sight for a second."

"Ah, yes you will, for what Sheikah would be seen with a priestess these days?" Avaraleen smirked at him as the Sheikah blanched. "My point exactly, so unless you want the entire castle talking about what you supposedly do every time you're in a temple, you'll wait a moment before following me. You have my word I will be there." She flipped up a cowl Link hadn't noticed before so her face was in shadow and made her way to the door.

Link looked at Aren. "What's this about a Sheikah and a priestess?" he asked.

Aren shook his head ruefully. "There's this old tale of a Sheikah who regularly went to the Temple of Time, but not for any religious purpose: he apparently had an affair with one of the priestesses. It all happened years ago, but ever since then, any male Sheikah seen with a priestess is whispered to be having an affair. Many of them avoid the temple altogether."

"You know, sometimes I think you Sheikah are just a little too superstitious," Link said, watching the ground below just as Avaraleen emerged from the tower's base, head bowed, hands clasped in front of her, walking at the steady slow pace all priests did. If he didn't know any better, he'd thought she actually was a priestess. "Avoiding the temple because of gossip? I thought you all would avoid something like that for a better reason."

"When your life is dedicated to dealing in lies and half-truths, one tend to have as few of them as possible stick to themselves. My own record is bad enough without anything like that added to it." Aren leaned on the rail and watched Avaraleen walk towards the main castle. "Though it's not as bad as hers. I have no idea how she deals with it."

Link thought back to his time back at the cabin in the Lost Woods and the conversations he had with her there. "I believe she thinks the past is the past and there is nothing any of us can do about it. That is, unless someone finds a way to travel back there. But until then, all any of us can do is to make sure we don't make the same mistake again in the future. With some of the things I've done, I have to say I definitely agree."

Aren stared at him. "That is something I believe anyone but her to say, but it is a good philosophy."

Link nodded. "Well, we better get down there before she sends a search party of her own looking for us." Aren nodded fervently and followed him down the stairs. The idea of Avaraleen sending someone to look for them was not a good one. Knowing her, she might send someone who had a warrant under his name and with a very bad attitude. Thankfully, using the Sheikah's extensive knowledge of the castle's passageways, it only took them fifteen minutes to reach the hidden chamber in near the kitchens.

The King and (to Link's amazement) Princess Zelda were already there, along with Rauru and Arric, the latter two looking extremely annoyed. Both of them looked up when the door opened with expectant looks, but sighed at the exact same time when they only saw Link and Aren. "Where is she?" Arric said in a low voice as the two of them entered the room, Link closing the door behind them.

"She's on her way," Link said, looking at Arric with a crooked smile, "disguised as a priestess." He stifled a chuckle at Arric's shudder.

The door opened again and Avaraleen slipped in hurriedly before closing the door behind her with a snap. "If it makes you feel better, I was just asked if I was a priestess of Farore," she said breathlessly, throwing off her hood and leaning against the door. "Apparently some noble couple just got married and they wanted a fertility blessing."

Rauru raised an eyebrow. "And did you?"

"No, thank Din I was able to pass off as one of her novices." She let out a breath as she took a seat. "I had some instructors make sure I would be able to get out of such situations when they taught me this disguise."

"The Gerudo infiltrate the temple?" King Daphne asked, that eyebrow still arched.

Avaraleen rolled her eyes. "Din is the patron goddess of the Gerudo," she replied in a tone that implied an unspoken _everyone knows that_. "Technically the Gerudo are already priestesses of Din, as we have the power to delve into the heart of the deep desert where few from the outside have dared attempt." She glared at the king, "And it's not just the Gerudo who use this disguise, the Sheikah do it as well, just their better at it than Nayru, so quit trying to point fingers at my sisters. It doesn't really work."

Link felt the air get very tense and he shot a concerned look to Zelda, who swiftly caught his meaning. "Father, we did not call Avaraleen and Link to this meeting to discuss what the Gerudo and Sheikah do in order to remain unseen," she said in a calm voice. "You yourself did ask for her to come with all possible discretion, and, to be quite frank, there are worse disguises than a priestess." She nodded her head towards Avaraleen. "It actually seems to suit you quite well by my opinion."

The Princess was good, for Daphne scowled at the table for a moment before clearing his throat while Avaraleen inclined her head towards Zelda. "Yes, well, this night raid has brought certain things to light," he said slowly. "This is the second time the Interlopers have breached the castle walls, only this time their intended target was not you, Sorceress, but my daughter."

"Which means there's a breach in security somewhere, something I figured out the moment I first saw Ned and Carrack show up, so tell me something we don't already know," Avaraleen replied tersely. "We were the first ones to arrive and save her."

"And you were almost killed because of it," Aren muttered.

Zelda inclined her head. "A fact we can take advantage of," she said. "If we put out the news to that you were killed, the Interlopers may stop coming after you."

Avaraleen's brow wrinkled. "But they'll concentrate on getting you even more strongly."

"It is a risk, but since you know the Interlopers and with you 'dead,' they won't expect you to be going against them." Zelda's tone was matter-of-factual as she gazed down the table at Avaraleen, whose frown was becoming deeper by the minute.

"What exactly are you getting at?" Avaraleen asked abruptly.

Zelda leaned forward. "Let word get about that you're dead to all save those who need to know you're still alive, but stay here in the palace and help keep the Interlopes from completing their goal." She smiled ruefully. "I would also appreciate any tips you can teach me to help…dissuade the next bout of them. I really do not want to be a burden all the time."

Avaraleen tapped her fingers on the table for several minutes, her eyes fixed on a spot directly in front of her. Link found himself watching her fingers with mild fascination. They varied between two different patterns: either all four would rise and fall in succession or only the middle and forefingers would tap in unison. With her switching from pattern to pattern, sometimes in mid-beat, he could sense she was analyzing both sides of the situation thoroughly. Finally, she looked up. "I want Arric and Aren to be reassigned to your protection," she said firmly. "It will make no sense if they are seen wandering around the same tower I used to be if I'm supposed to be dead."

Both of the Sheikah frowned and Aren looked as though he was about to say something, but Zelda cut him off. "Understandable, but where will you stay?"

"Same quarters as now, I'll just be a bit more sneaky about it." Avaraleen smoothed the robe she now wore. "I highly doubt anyone would suspect another priestess wandering around here."

"And it'll give you an excuse to have the Sheikah avoid you," Link murmured under his breath. Identical glares from two sets of red eyes said the Sheikah twins had heard him, but he ignored them. Avaraleen, on the other hand, only gave a small shrug.

"Be that as it may, me as a priestess will raise far fewer questions than anything else, and believe me; I can come up with worse alternatives." Avaraleen leaned back in her chair. "But to answer your question, Princess, yes, I will do everything in my power to make sure the Interlopers do not get such a chance again." Her hunter's smile crept up over her face. "They've forgotten what I was when I had the full command of my power."

"And what were you?" the King asked.

Avaraleen reached out a hand in the general direction of the Sheikah. A thin line of dark purple (it wasn't light as more of the absence of it) shot out from them to twine around her fingers like a snake. "Oh, just your average little sorceress with too much time on her hands for experiments," she said in a lilting tone. "They may have forgotten that I love to lay traps in this stuff." The "light" condensed itself into a ball in the middle of her palm, which she then closed her fingers over, sending dark ripples down her arm. Judging by Rauru's disapproving frown, Link guessed that she had just handled and absorbed pure Shadow magic.

"Should you be doing that by now?" the older man asked.

"When you've been deprived of a good part of your magic for several months, you'd want to get back into practice. And with my understanding and connection with natural magic, to deprive me of even one of the six is to greatly reduce my power." Avaraleen returned her gaze to the Princess. "Now, what kind of dissuasion do you want to know, Your Highness: the kind that only works against mages or the sort that is also effective against annoying noblemen?"

Zelda's eyes sparkled. "I think the second choice sounds more appealing, particularly with the Spring Ball set for three days from now." Link shot a glance down the table with a worried look, praying that hopefully everyone had forgotten about the whole thing about him being invited to it. He certainly had, but then again he had been wondering why all the servants had been running all over the castle, screaming at each other at the top of their lungs, and the ever-increasing numbers of nobles arriving almost daily now. Hopefully in all that rush his invitation had been forgotten as well, but Zelda's next statement dispelled that hope: "Of course, you are still invited to it, Link."

Link cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Is there any way I can decline the invitation?" he asked with a note of pleading. "I really don't think I'll fit in that…group."

"Absolutely not, if I'm going, you're going," Avaraleen said before anyone else could say anything. "I'm going to need your help to avoid all the nobles who hate me."

"Um, you're officially dead," Link retorted. "How would any of them recognize you if you're disguised as a priestess?"

"Because they never knew me as me." Avaraleen had an eyebrow raised in the expression of don't you know anything about me? "My list of aliases is almost as long as my list of people who really don't like me, which is why I need the help."

"And it's not like we're going to have you do anything official," Zelda added. "All you'll be doing is standing up on the royal dais with my father and I, and Avaraleen, and you can just imposing or something like that. That is, if you're coming." The smile the Princess was giving him was heavily hinting that there was no way he was getting out of it, and he turned to Avaraleen. "There's no way I'm getting out of this, am I?" he asked, crestfallen.

"Nope," she said cheerfully.

He heaved a sigh. "Fine, I'll come," he said, severely disgruntled about the whole thing. "Although I'd rather go through one of those temples."

Avaraleen merely shook her head. "Don't say that until you actually get into some of them," she cautioned. "They're not meant to be easy." She turned back to the King and Zelda. "So, how exactly do you plan to put about my death?"

ooo000ooo

Failure was no option for him, but such had been his training. He swarmed silently up over the curtain wall, seemingly a mere fleeting shadow in the flickering torchlight to the sentries, all men either too young or too well-connected to be in the main Army during the wall. He sneered: their amateur efforts at guarding what was supposed to be one of the most secure locations of all of Hyrule was appalling, but his Master would be pleased to know this piece of information was still accurate. However, as useful as this was, this was not why he was sent. His Master needed to know, demanded to know why Carrack and Ned had not returned with the Princess. They had been gone a full fortnight, and so he had been sent.

Once over the curtain wall, he paused in the shadow of one of the many towers and debated his next move. If the two were still alive, they would most likely be in the dungeons, and, despite his skills, even that was not going to be an easy place to get out of. Perhaps it would be easier if he captured a guard…

The sound of a priest's low chanting made him aware of his surroundings. He was in a narrow passageway between the curtain wall and the tower, one that led to a secluded courtyard with a large stone in the center. The chanting grew louder and along with it came the soft tread of many feet and he snarled silently as he realized the priest was leading a group towards his location and he swiftly ascended back up the wall just as the grey-robe priest came walking around the bend, head bowed, hood cast over the face, hands clasped.

She, it was a priestess leading this group, was chanting the ancient rites for someone who had died in the service of the Royal Family. Next came the King and the Princess, both with expressions of grief and after them was the elderly advisor to the King and the stoic-faced boy who was considered to be a hero carrying a torch, but there was nothing he could see that would make the boy such a remarkable person of interest. The boy did have the sword the Master wanted, but now was not the time to get it, for after the boy came two Sheikah bearing a cloth-covered body on a bier.

Even without using his magic, he could sense strong magic coming from the body, a blend of all different natural magicks, but there was a strong sense of Shadow as well. There was only one person who had this blend, one all had learned was to be brought in if possible, but never to be killed. The Master would not be pleased if this body was whose he thought it was…

Making up his mind, he followed the short procession, but they did not have far to go. The two royals and the boy gathered around the stone in the center of the courtyard as the Sheikah gently set the body down on top of it. The priestess finished her chant and raised her hands up to shoulder level. "Tonight, we mourn the loss of one who has given her life to Hyrule and to those who guide the land and its people," she said in a somber tone. "Though she was known to only a few, she came to the aide of the Princess in a dire hour, though in doing so it cost her life. Fare thee well, Sorceress Avaraleen. Those gathered here today will not forget thy sacrifice. May Din lead thee to the realms beyond, Nayru find thine deeds just, and Farore grant thee peace." The priestess ended her (rather short) speech, with the traditional hand motion of the priesthood: a sweeping gesture from forehead to each shoulder to form the triangle that was the mark of the three Golden Goddesses. She nodded to boy, who held out his torch to the body on the stone. Immediately the flames caught and the silent gathering was lit by the circle of flames.

He backed away from them slowly. The Master would not like this at all. There would be blood if it was found Ned and Carrack still lived after disobeying the Master's orders, but then the boy spoke; "It's a good thing the two responsible are dead now. They would not want me to be coming after them." The boy's face was set in a determined expression as he watched the flames grow higher.

It was definitely time to go. Swiftly he turned away and darted to return the way he came. He had gotten the information he was charged to find and more. Despite the fact that those who had failed were dead, there was still would be blood.

In his haste to leave, he did not notice the pair of red-gold eyes watching him leave. Even if he did, there was no possible way he could have seen the lips hidden in the shadow of the hood curl into a dangerous smile. The flames leapt and flickered in a brisk wind as they consumed the oil-soaked funeral shroud and the slender log underneath. It had been all too easy for her to transfer enough power to make it log "feel" like her and to have the shroud raised into a convincing shape. The plan had gone well, but only the Goddesses knew the truth in the play: Avaraleen the Sorceress was dead…

…But the tri-priestess had just arrived.

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><p><strong>A word on the priesthood<strong>: though the patron deity of Hyrule is Her Grace, Hylia, is there is an order of priests dedicated to the three Godden Goddesses. Dressed in grey robes to distinguish themselves from the rest of the population, each one has a particular service depending on which Goddess they serve, but oddly enough, there is a even distribution of priests among the three. Priests of Din, the Goddess of Power, make up the majority of those among the fighters as a majority of the priestesses have come from the Gerudo Desert. Those of Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom, are primarily those who study law. Farore's priests concern themselves with the land and matters of life, but as servants of the Goddess of Courage, these have been known to do very unexpected and often dangerous things from time to time. However, in times of war, all three can be seen on the battlefield.

Though they all wear grey to symbolize their status as mere mortals serving divine beings, all priests have some form of indication as to which Goddess they serve. Often it is a scarf or a sash in the color of their chosen Goddess, but priests are not limited to serving just one Goddess: there are some who serve two or even all three at once. Known as bi- or tri-priests respectively, these unique priests are often found wandering the whole of Hyrule as opposed to remaining at the Temple of Time with the majority of the priesthood. Of the two, tri-priests are the rarest, for to serve all three Goddesses willingly can be a daunting task. Knowing how an enemy will react in battle and having the strength to do act upon it is all and well, but having the courage to not fight and face the consequences can be difficult, and thus why the few tri-priests known today are highly respected.

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><p><strong>Author's note<strong>: Okay, guys, we need to talk. Some writers may be able to do it, but I cannot write all the time without a little help, and one review like last time is not going to cut it. I may not show it, but I really do appreciate feedback and ideas no matter what it is or how they are. All I ask is for something, no matter how random it is. I usually do respond back unless it is something that I can neither confirm nor deny at that time. (Riku Uzumaki, your PM fell under that category, so that's why I didn't respond, but it was very…interesting.) So guys, please review, or I will be forced to set a horde of rampaging Dodongos on you, unless you have a very good reason. Finals count, since they are necessary evils and I have them too.

Alright, I'm done with the rant. Hopefully I won't have to pull it out again, but on a happier note, I taking a slight poll here: which socially awkward scene you would like to see in the next chapter? It includes the Spring Ball, I have Link asking a girl to dance, Zelda potentially flooring a young nobleman with either a well-placed right hook or a steel re-enforced fan (under Avaraleen's supervision, of course), a scandal involving everyone's favorite General Logan, party crashers from Market Town, and several others. Add in your suggestions as well: if it's really funny, I'll use it! Don't worry though, I'll stay on track with the story, but I need to add some humor here, and the ball is going to be some gigantic party, so what's a party without a little drama? Just no breaking the fourth wall.

Well, I think that's all for now, so until next time, dragoness of storm, out! See ya later!


	16. At the Ball

Hi, I'm back, and yes I will explain why I'm so late after not updating since May, but let me get through the usual stuff before that.

Thanks to Riku Uzumaki, Dire Heart, AprilMay565, Torey Mattews, and Ivy Harkia, making me squee in delight when I see an email from FF and I'm going to shut up now because I know you all want to read this story and not any rant I may come up with about people please leaving behind reviews and what-not, so let's get on with the good stuff.

* * *

><p>Although he really didn't want to be there, Link figured this was just like sentry duty, just with a different landscape and a very different purpose, and then there was that added feeling that he would be knocked out cold if he dared look behind him. Avaraleen was there, slightly to his left, wearing a heavily modified variation of the grey robe she'd "borrowed." She must have done it during the past three days as he hadn't seen her since her fake funeral, but how the modifications were supposed to make her more like the tri-priestess she was masquerading as, he had no idea.<p>

She had removed the sleeves and the entire middle, baring arms, back, and stomach, all of which were tanned and well-toned, while still having her chest covered with nothing more than a wide band connected to the hood that left very little to the imagination. The lower half still looked the same until she move, revealing two slits in the front cut parallel to with her legs. Several people had already thrown scathing looks at her, but none did more than that since anyone could see the white gemstone suspended on her forehead, clearly marking her as a Gerudo, from the two fine gold chains that had her hair caught up in a high ponytail. For once, she didn't wear her hood to overshadow her face, instead a black scarf covered her nose and mouth, leaving her eyes (that were unnervingly blue-violet instead of red-gold) free to pierce every corner of the Great Hall. A black sash around her waist held one of her ever-present blades (the other he had a feeling was hidden somewhere under her robes). Both the scarf and the sash had small designs picked out in red, blue, and green thread depicting the three signs of the Goddesses, and once more she wore the same bronze armguards she'd worn in the forest.

Though he knew she was half-Gerudo, this was the first time Link had actually seen her dress almost like one, and he had to admit, she definitely had the edge. And the air that said she'd knock him (and anyone else for that matter) out cold if he so much as looked at her wrong, so he kept his eyes fixed on the milling crowd before him. He was thankful that he didn't have to wear anything extremely fancy to this. He had gotten a message just that morning from Avaraleen telling him to just wear his Kokiri tunic over a clean shirt and pants along with his most comfortable (and only) pair of boots, and Avaraleen had somehow forced him into wearing the hat as well. He had first been grumbling about it, but when he saw the "latest fashion" for the noblemen, which included a weird hat shape like a pancake with a large feather attached and tights (seriously what kind of guy wore tights?), he'd stopped complaining. Besides, the hat was staring to grow on him.

Link scanned the hall slowly for the umpteenth time from his vantage point on the royal dais opposite the great doors, looking for anything out of the ordinary, but again came up with nothing other than the two lines of bored guardsmen standing at regular intervals down the walls, the small group of musicians tuning their various instruments, and the oh-so-colorful nobles milling around, chatting politely among themselves, and he had to hand it to them: the nobles did know how to insult each other without appearing so. He learned at least five new ways to call someone an idiot. Leaning over, he tapped Rauru on the shoulder. "Do you nobles always talk like this?" he whispered as he indicated the small crowd before them.

"It is much worse in the council," the older man replied. "They are a traditional part of the proceedings, and I will admit that I do take part in it."

"I still prefer Gerudo politics." Avaraleen's voice was harsher than usual, as though she had been breathing sand for the past few hours. Link was of the opinion that she was trying to regain her original desert accent. "Either you agree or you punch the people around you until they either agree or they convince you otherwise."

"Is that wise?" Rauru asked. "Do you not also lose potential allies?"

Avaraleen gave him a look. "There is a reason why the council chamber there doubles as the combat arena. The Gerudo can take out their frustrations at each other then and there."

A loud _snap_ caused everyone's attention to be drawn to Zelda seated on the throne slightly behind Link. "Perhaps that is something I should start doing," the Princess said, idly waving her unfurled fan in front of her. Dressed in a tasteful gown of violet silk accessorized with only a simple gold belt and tiara, she looked the absolute picture of royalty, even though the neckline forced Link to look at her face and above. "Some of these…couriers can be a bit too stubborn for their own good."

"It would seem rather odd for you to start a practice that the Gerudo have used for centuries," Avaraleen said.

The Princess _humphed_. "And why not?"

Avaraleen merely raised one coppery eyebrow. "Hylian and Gerudo relationships."

"Oh." Zelda's tone said she wanted to slump, but royal dignity kept her upright.

Avaraleen wasn't done. "However, you could start walking with said courier and the two of you could accidentally end up in such a court."

This caused Zelda to perk up, but only slightly. "And what is to stop everyone from talking about it?"

"It depends on the amount of bruises your…victim has, who he is, and whether or not people will believe what he says, but either everyone will start believing you have started taking lessons from your personal Sheikah and leave you alone, or you get to whack more of them until they get the point."

Zelda visibly perked at this, but her father just happened to finish his conversation with a nobleman Link didn't know in time to overhear that last bit. "Absolutely not," the King said curtly. "I have enough to deal with without having to deal with anything you do to the young noblemen. You might cause their families to withdraw their support from the Crown."

Zelda pulled herself to her full seated height. "If I do anything to their sons, then send their parents to me," she said matter-of-factly. "It will be my mess, and I will be responsible for it while doing what I can to keep everything in order. It's just there is so much of those…boys' nonsense I can stand before I have to do something to get rid of them."

"Then order them to do something useful," her father replied with a hint of impatience.

"I already tried that," the Princess sighed. "But we're not at war anymore, so coming up with anything has become nigh near impossible."

The King was about to respond when another noble, this one wearing the chainmail of someone associated with the military, claimed his attention, and that of Rauru's as well. Zelda had a small self-satisfied smile on her face as she settled back in her throne, but it quickly faded and she let out a groan. "Oh, no."

Link snapped his attention back to the colorful crowd before him and saw a young brunette man in a deep orange tunic over a shirt of chain mail approaching the dais. This one had a knowing smirk as he came forward. At the foot of the stairs leading up the dais, he stopped and bowed deeply. "Princess Zelda, among the jewels of the court, you shine the brightest."

There was a sharp intake and release of breath from Zelda, but she showed no outward distaste. "Sir Fernald, your flattery does you no credit, as you do say the same things regularly."

"This ought to be good," Link heard Avaraleen murmur under her breath.

Fernald straightened from his bow, his smirk still in place. "Even if such descriptions are true?"

"A flawed description, if you ask my opinion." Zelda raised one eyebrow. "It may fit your other flirtations, but not I. I am afraid your brother's previous conquests have forewarned me of your possible attempts."

"Ah, the eternal struggle of a younger brother." Link came to the conclusion that this knight had quite the flair for the dramatic. "We strive to escape the shadow of our elder brothers, but are often hindered by their failures."

"But often their failures warn the rest of us of such potential, and sometimes very horrendous, lines and tricks." Was it him, or were the sticks that made that fan she was waving oh-so-slowly a bit too long and shiny?

"They warn those who are wise and willing to learn from them, as you are." Fernald's smirk wavered slightly into a genuine smile.

Zelda's eyebrow shot up and she closed her fan with another _snap_. "I believe I told you that flattery did you no credit?"

"'Tis not flattery that I gave you," Fernald said, "but an honest compliment." The musicians began a lilting tune, causing the milling crowd of nobles to either organize into dance lines or migrate to the sides. Fernald extended his hand towards Zelda. "May I have the first dance?"

When the Princess hesitated, Avaraleen turned slightly towards her. "Royal protocol says you have to," she whispered, and Link swore she had a smile hidden under that scarf. "It would be better for you to go now before he orders you." Avaraleen jerked her head towards the King, who, though still in conversation with the military noble, was watching the proceedings very closely.

"I know that all too well," Zelda hissed back as she stood. She descended the stairs and accepted Fernald's hand before turning to look up at them. "You two don't have to stay up there all night. Come down and join the fun."

Link waited until her back was turned before breathing, "Fun? I highly doubt that." He'd already seen enough people glare at him to know that he was not wanted here at all.

"Well, if she orders you to do so, just go find Ichor," Avaraleen whispered. "He's in the southeast corner and does not look happy about having to be here."

"Then why is he?"

"He is a part of the Terminan delegation, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

"But in all seriousness, you have got to get off this dais eventually."

"Not unless I have to." During his frequent scans of the hall, Link had noticed his fair share of dirty looks being shot his way by several young knights and not a few of the older noblemen at his being up on the royal dais. From what he saw from the recent episode between Fernald and the Princess, there was an invisible line at the stairs to the dais, one none dared to cross. As long as he remained up here, he should be safe from self-seeking noble wanting to know how he had done what he had, and there was that group of four noblewomen nearby that was looking at him with approving gazes and half-smiles, while about ten girls who had to be their daughters stood nearby giggling. He shuddered slightly when one of the daughters noticed him watching and fluttered her fan at him.

Avaraleen sighed and shook her head at Link's shudder. "Relax, if I can survive one of these viper pits, so can you." Her gaze wandered over to the group Link was still watching and one copper eyebrow shot up. "On second thought, you may want to stay up here for an hour or two. If I'm not mistaken, that's Lady Bernadette, her friends, and their numerous unmarried daughters. I'll see if I can distract them later on so you can disappear later. You staying up here is akin to hanging a large sign above your head."

It took all the will Link had not to grab his forehead in annoyance. "Why won't these people leave me alone?" he moaned to himself. "I thought I dodged most of them the first time I came here!"

"You were most likely on a horse and Chaser seems to know when you don't want to be stopped by people," Avaraleen said matter-of-factly. "And Lady Bernadette is not one to give up a marriage opportunity like you easily."

"But I'm just a rancher, a commoner!" Link hissed at her. "I've got nothing they want!"

She rolled her eyes. "You're a Hero, for Farore's sake. You've saved the kingdom at least once, braved the Lost Woods and came out alive, and recently saved the Princess from her would-be kidnappers. Being a commoner only adds…oh what is the word they're using now…_romantic_. The whole notion of a commoner doing what a knight could not is quite the feat, and I'll bet some bard or singers have already come up with an appropriately epic tale, and of course, these girls want to know _all_ the details." She patted his arm as she surveyed the rest of the hall. "But don't worry, I'll find someone else to distract them-" She hissed in surprise.

"What? What is it?" Link tried to follow her gaze, but came up with nothing save a young woman in red near the far wall. She seemed nervous, as though she wasn't supposed to be there and did not want to be caught.

"Not what, who." Avaraleen never moved, but her eyes tracked the woman as she moved slowly through the crowd gathered on one side. "What in the name of the Goddesses are they doing here?"

Confused as ever, Link watched her as well. She did look slightly familiar, what with her long blonde hair and her easy movements through the crowd. "Who is she?"

"If I'm not mistaken, that's Lyka." Avaraleen shifted slightly. "I sent Crow a message yesterday telling him all about the ruse with my fake funeral and how to find me."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that was a good idea?"

"I used a code only the two of us can understand, and I trust Crow with my life." Avaraleen's voice was pure iron. "More than once he had the opportunity to sell me out for a price that would allow him to buy his own estate, a large one, and yet here I am."

Although he thought nothing she said could surprise him anymore, Link had to admit he was taken aback by this. "You trust him?" he asked astonished. From what she had told him, she really didn't trust anyone that much.

Avaraleen merely shrugged. "I've known him for many years, and we have an arrangement where we keep each other's location hidden from any…undesirables looking for us. That, and…something else." She lowered her head and let out an angry sigh, as though furious at herself for letting that last statement slip. Though he was burning with curiosity, Link didn't press the matter. Avaraleen had earned her right to keep her secrets long ago in his book.

He did, however, change subjects. "So what would the root of the thieves' grapevine be doing here? If he's even here."

"Oh, he's here alright, and he's looking for me." Avaraleen raised her head and squared her shoulders. "He must have heard something from the other council members."

"I thought the Sheikah was handling the communications between them."

"Crow and I have a mutual friend among the Sheikah, one who just happens to be one of the runners for these messages, and we've paid her to drop the message off at a certain merchant who later goes to the Nest for a drink."

Link gave her a look. "Is there any place the two of you haven't infiltrated?"

Avaraleen thought for a moment. "A very seedy and potentially dangerous gang run by a man named Caleb, but that's a project for another time. I'm going to find out what he knows. If it's anything interesting, I'll come get you." She slipped off the dais and disappeared into the crowd.

Link returned his attention to the crowd and felt his eyes widen a fraction. General Logan was heading up towards the dais, and Link was pretty certain what the general was up to. Quickly he scanned the hall again for anything, just one small excuse for him to leave the dais himself. For one heart-pounding moment, there was nothing. All was calm, but then he saw...something.

Someone was lurking at one of the corners. He couldn't make out many details, but the general shape of the figure appeared feminine and was wearing the oddest clothes he'd ever seen (and considering what most of the nobles were sporting, that was saying a lot), but either it was a trick of the light mixed with the shadows or something similar, but it looked as though a huge shadow was looming behind her. All in all, the whole picture felt out of place, and going to check it out was a good enough excuse for him to leave the dais.

As the King was still in deep conversation with the first noble that had arrived, Link leaned over to Rauru. "There's someone in one of the corners who looks out of place. I'm going to go check it out." At the older man's raised eyebrow, he described who he saw.

Rauru frowned, but nodded. "Hmm, I have no idea who that might be, but it might be one of the Sheikah scouts. They tend to appear different from the others disassociated themselves from the rest of their people. Signal one of the regular Sheikah though if things looked as though they're going to become difficult. I've heard dealing with the scouts can be a bit difficult."

Link nodded and did his best to imitated Avaraleen's silent disappearance, with some success. His limited Sheikah training hadn't really covered silent movement through crowds. He managed to stay away from Lady Bernadette and her horde of giggling girls (thank Farore), but he did bump into a few nobles and one tray-carrying servant. The nobles merely snapped at him for being clumsy and the servant kept his grip on his tray full of wine glasses while giving Link one of the few nasty looks he knew he deserved. Link merely shrugged and kept his head down as he edged over to the…figure.

She wasn't exactly human, let alone Hylian, so there wasn't an issue of him dealing with a Sheikah scout, but he wasn't even sure if she was a she to begin with. In all appearances, the figure looked to be a young woman wearing a pair of snug blue pants, a lacy black shirt held up with only two thin straps, and brown boots of the oddest make. However, it was her eyes that made him think she wasn't human: not only were they a bright shade of silver, they had vertical slits like a cat. To make things even creepier, if that was even possible, she had the same wry smile Avaraleen favored.

"Link, son of Markel and Marianna, ranchers out near the western border," she said as he came closer. Her voice was mellow and she tended to draw out the vowels in her words. "I'd wondered when you would see me."

He froze. One thing he knew for certain was that he had told no one who his parents were other than they had been ranchers. For anyone to know more than that, they either had to be from his hometown, or a spy. Since there had been no one who even looked remotely like this back home, he was leaning towards spy. But for whom?

"I suppose you're wonderin' right now how I know so much, and the truth I'm afraid is a bit more complicated than I care to explain." The figure, or whatever she was, leaned against one of the supporting pillars. The shadow that loomed above her also shifted, and with a start he realized it was a pair of dark bat-like wings sprouting from her shoulders. She was defiantly not human, and Link found himself backing away involuntarily with his left hand creeping up towards the Master Sword's hilt.

Her eyes flashed angrily and her wings flared slightly. "I'd wouldn't if I were you," she growled. "I'm here to help, but if you don't want it, the least you can do it make me angry. Besides, you're the only one who can even see me right now, let alone hear me."

With an effort, Link lowered his hand. No one else had seemed to notice her before, so there had to be some truth in what she said. Still, her offer of help might be an attempt to stick a knife in his back when he wasn't looking, so he remained on his guard. "Who are you?" he asked as calmly as he could. "And what do you want?"

"My name is Tempestade." She rolled her eyes at his expression. "Yes, I know it sounds weird, but get over it. I'm here because I have a message for Avaraleen."

"The Sorceress?" Link asked, feigning surprise. "I'm sorry to say, but she died in a raid on the castle a few weeks ago."

"Don't play coy with me, I know she's alive, and she's here as a Gerudo tri-priestess." She flipped her chestnut hair out of her face and cocked a hip. "Seein' as you're here and not her, she's talkin' to her old friend Crow right now."

Link's jaw hit the floor. He had nothing for that. "How did you know that?" he hissed in an undertone.

"I know quite a bit about what goes on around here." Tempestade's wings moved up and down in a shrug. "It's all a part of the highly complicated stuff that I really don't want to explain. But that ain't the issue here. What is the issue is the fact that things have changed slightly for the worse, and none of you involved in this business are prepared for it."

"What do you mean?" Link drew closer to make sure no one was watching him.

She grimaced. "Let's just say things ain't exactly what they seem. You need to tell Avaraleen as soon as you can that there's a whole lot more to all of this than what's on the surface, and all of this is startin' tonight. She needs to translate that journal you picked up for the whole picture to be revealed."

"What are you going on about?" Link shook his head. This was sounding too much like riddles, and those weren't his strong suit at all.

"Just tell Avaraleen what I said!" Tempestade hissed sharply. "I'm already bendin' enough rules as is! If I tell you anymore-ah, heck. This ain't good."

"What?" Link whirled around and saw what looked like a giant turtle walking on two legs with spikes on its shell just outside the great doors. He started forward, but Tempestade grabbed his arm.

"I've got it," she said. "Just warn Zelda she'll have to calm the Mushroom Kingdom delegation if things get out of hand, but this is the reason why I can't say anymore than I just did: weird things happen if I do. Oh, and when you give Avaraleen the message and she asks who told you, just say it's the same person who passed on the intel of the innocent Interloper camp. Dang, why did it have to be this guy?" She released his arm and began to move through the crowd toward the door. As she did, her form began to change: her entire body elongated and went from walking on two to stalking on four legs. A tail lashed out of thin air, her skin darkened into something similar to black scale mail. The only thing that didn't change was her wings, and her eyes hadn't as well as he caught a glimpse of one as she glanced back. By the time she reached the doors, Tempestade had gone from a young woman with wings to a giant winged lizard, and no one had seen her at all.

Link looked around. Avaraleen still wasn't in sight, but that wasn't who he was he was looking for. After all of this, he needed a drink…

ooo0ooo

"To quote an old friend, this ain't good." Avaraleen chewed on her lower lip as she began to pace in the narrow space.

"Indeed it's not." Crow leaned on the opposite wall. The two of them were in a small room off the Grand Hall. It was used for storage of spare chairs and small tables, but many of the younger nobles had found other uses for it as well. The single door was heavily warded to ensure no unwanted interruptions and prevent any eavesdroppers from listening in, but, naturally not trusting anything not of her own design, Avaraleen had added her own spells. Only one small candle provided the barest minimum of light, adding to the covert nature of the meeting, but even in this dark room Avaraleen still had the scarf over her face. Crow rarely met anyone in public (to be precise, only a handful of other people even knew what he looked like beyond the shadows other than an old man), so the mere fact that he was in the castle during the Spring Ball instantly meant that the news was heavily important, and what he had just told her ranked right up there with the news that Zamur was still alive.

"He's brought them back. I swore I had gotten them all during the war!" She slammed her fist against the wall. "There was no one left to teach them how to do it!"

"Even the best hunters have their quarry escape them," Crow said calmly. "The Markers were his most effective force. It does not surprise me that he would have kept a few of them away from the battle to train more."

Avaraleen nodded, but still paced. "But it doesn't make sense: I cleared out every camp I knew of, and trust me; most of them weren't easy to even hear the rumors of them. The last group was located in his tower, and..well, they're no more now. That should have been the end of them, but he must have hid the rest of them in his new base…wherever that is." She glanced half-heartedly at Crow, who shrugged.

"Finding anything related to magic was always your area of expertise," he said. When she continued to pace, he grabbed her arm.

Had Crow been anyone else (ok, anyone other than himself and Link), Avaraleen would have knocked him out cold til' next week. Still, old reflexes had her raise her fist, ready to strike, before she relaxed. Slightly.

"Avaraleen, you need to calm down." For someone who operated strictly on a code name, for Crow to use her real name meant he wanted her full attention.

She glared at him, and by his small movement back, her eyes were a bright blue-violet, a severe danger sign, but she had a very tight clamp on her power. The candle was proof of that as it still burned normally. "I'm fine," she said, tugging her arm out of his grip.

He didn't look convinced. "Last time you said that with that look, I didn't see you until you walked into the Nest with Link and Ichor. For nigh on two years, I hear even a whisper of your whereabouts, and now you tell me you were near his tower when you disappeared?" He folded his arms. "What happened?"

Avaraleen drew breath to tell him it was none of his business, but then let it out in a sigh. He wouldn't even be involved in any of this if it hadn't been for her. He deserved to know, at least most of it, but his eyes were still sharp for someone of sixty-three. "I got close, got cocky, got caught, and paid the price for it." She looked him in the eye, but kept her voice carefully deadpan as she spoke. She didn't want to give away too much. "When I got out, I needed to heal, so I hid in the Lost Woods. There was no way for me to get a message out of that tower even if I wanted to. Besides, you know the routine: get caught, and you're on your own. Afterwards…" She shrugged. "I needed time to heal, and I wanted to give the impression that I had died in the…explosion."

Crow raised one eyebrow. "Obviously that didn't work as you had to fake your death yet again."

_Yeah, well, you try leaving a magical trace of your dead body strong enough to deceive a sorcerer right at the same level as you when you're hardly alive from the injuries that happen when you're caught and it's barely within your capabilities to get out of the area while you're feeling the effects of a large magical working that normally leaves you half-alive on top of that,_ she wanted to say, but kept silent. It was her turn to cross her arms and glare at him. Goddesses, she'd forgotten how protective he could be about her. He would virtually explode if he knew the whole thing and demand why she hadn't gone for help. Now that she remembered, it was a small part of her decision to hide in the Lost Woods after the whole thing.

The silence in the room stretched to the point of severe awkwardness, so in a wild attempt to change subjects, Avaraleen dove one hand into her pouch and pulled out the package she'd retrieved from the secret passage the night she'd introduced Link and Ichor to Crow. "Here. You asked me to get this for you a long time ago from the Caverns." Crow caught the package easily as she tossed it to him, but his face fell when he opened it. "What? Did I get the wrong one?" she asked.

"No, it's the right one. It's just I now remembered why I asked you to get it in the first place." He walked over to her and showed her the open package. Free of its leather wrappings, Avaraleen recognized the sheen of high-grade steel and the coiled shape immediately.

She frowned. "I thought you still had yours when you left?"

"I still have it, but this one's not mine."

Avaraleen raised an eyebrow. "Then whose-?"

"Your father's."

She froze for several heartbeats before letting out a stream of mixed Gerudo and Sheikah cursing for ten minutes. Crow waited for her to finished, wearing a bemused expression at her talent for not repeating a single oath. When she finally stopped, he continued as though she hadn't said a thing: "Right before your final testing, he gave me this so that you might one day have it. I believe he knew something was going to happen that day. I don't know why he wanted you to have it as it goes against Sheikah law-"

"Not this time." Avaraleen had put the pieces together the moment she saw the chain. The swearing had been towards every high-ranking official in both races who had given her a hard time. They had only known half of the truth and tried to keep it from her, lest she attempt to gain something that could never be hers, but she wanted to make sure she was absolutely correct before she fully believe it herself. Reaching up, she removed the white gem from her forehead and showed it to him. "Navarra gave this to me several weeks ago. Said Nervi wanted me to have it. If I'm right, they knew about each other."

Crow held the gem closer to the light. "Are you sure this is the Gerudo version?"

"When you spend the first decade of your life trying to get in that group, you have it memorized." Avaraleen folded her arms and leaned against the wall with a smug smile. "No one else in the fortress has that color gem."

"And what about the-?"

"In the same pouch as the gem. I've been practicing, but right now that anti-scar ointment I came up with is becoming very useful. Though while we're on this subject, I want you to have a look at this." She unclasped the chain that held her Sheikah emblem and traded it for the gem. As she returned the gem to its former position, she asked, "Is this what I think it is? I wasn't able to get a good look at the others in the Caverns and Stephen gave it to me right before the fiasco, so…"

Crow took one look at it and nodded. "It is. Both of them left you the proof everyone wanted to hide." He looked up at her with huge eyes as he shared her revelation. "You're the first-"

A rap on the door drew their attention. Crow faded into the shadows as Avaraleen opened the door a hair. Lyka was on the other side, looking extremely flustered. "Are you two done now?" she hissed in a whisper. "I'm about to knife the next idiot who thinks he can just 'sweep me off me feet' with a bunch of ridiculous words."

Avaraleen shook her head. Apparently when she taught the younger woman self-defense, she'd also passed on her impatience at idiotic noblemen. "We're done with our secret conversation," she said, "but I need you to find Link and tell him to get Ichor in here as well. There are things they need to know."

Lyka pushed out her lower lip and let out a small whimper, but left anyway. Avaraleen closed the door and glanced back at Crow. "Not a word about we just spoke of," she said darkly. "No one needs to know about that."

He tilted his head. "And what about the…?" She cleared her throat pointedly at him and he got the message. "You know, sometimes you can be too stubborn for your own good."

ooo0ooo

"Come on, Link! Give it to him! Go! Go! GO!"

"Garret, move it! I got ten rupees on this!"

Link and Garret were arm-wrestling, much to the enjoyment of everyone else in the group. It was 't exactly what he had in mind for tonight but, eh, at least it helped get his mind off what happened earlier. Whatever Tempestade had gone to take care of, it hadn't caused a large ruckus, so he hadn't needed to warn Zelda about the Mushroom Kingdom delegation. He'd caught a glimpse of them, and for some reason they took the whole mushroom thing seriously: all ten of them wore round boulder hats spotted like toadstools and had the look like they would panic at a moment's notice.

After his odd conversation with the equally odd Tempestade, he'd gone off to get a drink, but to his dismay, he'd found out that his disappearance from the dais had caused a massive search for him among all the females connected with Lady Bernadette. They had staked out positions near any most of the refreshments, so he was faced with either having to fend off a swarm of girls going for a drink and possibly having to down another dealing with them or forgoing the drink altogether. When he ran into Rick and Garret and was invited to the "guards' party," he choose the latter.

The guards were rotated out of the Grand Hall every three hours so none of them got extremely bored and gave off the sense that the castle was not as safe as it should be. When they were off, or awaiting their next shift, they were lounging in an annex near the great doors. Link had nervously looked around when he got past the great doors, but there was no sign of a huge turtle and an even larger winged lizard had ever been there, so he relaxed, determined to have a good time away from any scheming girls. Even if it involved arm-wrestling among his friends.

Link finally flatten Garret and took a big swig from his tankard, much to the cheers of the other guards. "Alright, who's next?" he said.

"Uh, I done think you beat everyone here," said Rick, and everyone agreed with mixed degrees of enthusiasm. Some were still massaging their hands with rueful grins.

"Ah, well," Link sighed, but then lifted up his tankard. "Leaves more time for drinking!"

Everyone cheered and drank to that. None of them were really drinking anything alcoholic as all the guards were on duty, but what they were wasn't anything cheap. Garret had somehow gotten hold of several large bottles of Lon Lon Chateau, the richest, creamiest milk anywhere. Link didn't bemoan the lack of alcohol; he never did care for the taste, and, to be honest, Link actually like milk to the point that he secretly called himself a milkaholic, and this Chateau was bliss. He wished he could indulge in it more often, but the problem was Chateau came at such a high cost that for lowly soldiers, this was supposedly way out of their pay range. With this in mind, Link had one question. Leaning over, he tapped Garret on the shoulder. "Hey Garret, where'd you get this?" He raised his tankard.

Garret shrugged as everyone else looked smug. "Guards have the right to drink at a party just as every other noble," he said matter-of-factly. "But since our station requires us not to be drunk on duty, by Din I'm going to get the best stuff we can without getting us all in trouble!"

"I'll drink to that!" said Rick with his tankard raised.

"You'll drink to anything!" someone called, getting another laugh from the group as they all raised their tankards in a toast.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," came a female voice from the door.

Everyone turned to the open door, and Link felt his jaw drop for the second time. Lyka stood in the doorway, and she had no one but herself to blame for the way all the guys (there were about a dozen including Link) were staring at her. That red dress, though it covered everything in a way Avaraleen's and Zelda's outfits did not, revealed a very curvy figure that compelled staring, and the way she put a hand on her hip in annoyance only added to it. Not to mention that hair toss only made a third of the guys subconsciously begin to straighten their tunics.

"Are you done?" she asked. "Because I really need to speak with Link."

Rick glanced at Link, who gave the barest shake of his head; he was not going to leave the safety of this room to brave the war over which girl was going to sink her claws into him first.

"He's unavailable at the moment," Garret said, and Rick slowly edged over to shield Link from Lyka's sight.

"Listen, boys, I'm in no mood at the moment." Link winced. It looked like rudimentary self defense wasn't the only thing Avaraleen had taught Lyka, because the Hylian girl had the same tone the older woman used when she wanted something _now_. "This concerns his last bill when he was at the Nest."

"Oh, if that's the case, he's right here." Rick, that coward, moved aside so Link was in full view.

"Traitor," Link muttered to Rick as he stood.

"I'm not helping you against that girl," Rick hissed back. "I got scars from my last encounter."

"You got bruises, not scars," Lyka snapped, "and you deserved every one of them." She glared at Link. "We need to talk."

He really wanted to smack his forehead in frustration, but resisted the urge. Great, he just couldn't catch a break, could he? Was one night to much too…oh what was he thinking? He should've known this was going to happen the minute Avaraleen saw Lyka and knew Crow was here. With a resigned sigh, he drained the last of his milk and followed Lyka out of his safe haven. Oh, he was so exposed if one of those girls looked out the doors…

"Listen, Crow and Phoenix are in a small room right off the Grand Hall. Second door on the left." Lyka looked unusually tense as she spoke in an undertone only he could hear. "They want you to get Ichor there was well, but don't draw attention to yourselves."

"I know, I know, keep this whole thing secret." Link nodded as he gazed through the doors. He couldn't see the pack of girls anywhere, but they could be anywhere in that mass of people. "They do know me being covert is out of the question with that group of girls and their mothers after me."

"Easily solved." Lyka grabbed one of his arms and threaded hers through it. Link gave her a look and she raised an eyebrow. "They'll only come after you if you're by yourself. If I'm with you, they'll back off while glaring at me, but don't get any ideas: this is to help me as well."

"How is this going to help?" Link had to ask.

She glared at him. "You're not the only one with people problems. I swear, if one more noble idiot asked me if I'm doing anything later, I'm going to start breaking heads."

"So, it's probably a good thing I'm restraining your arm right now," Link said with a smile, and Lyka grudgingly agreed as the two of them walked through the great doors, and back into the fray. It wasn't as bad as it was the first time: instead of the girls looking pointedly at Link while batting their eyelashes to have him talk to him, they were now staring daggers at Lyka, who only smiled icily back at them as she clung (actually clung!) closer to Link. He only allowed a slight smile at the gesture, as he had the feeling Lyka would slap him if he even hinted that he had to be the luckiest guy in the room because he had the prettiest girl on his arm. Oh, sweet Nayru, what was he even thinking?

In a desperate attempt to get his mind somewhere far off Lyka's extremely well-fitting dress, Link cast about looking for the Terminan delegation. Lord Dotour was easy to find: he was in the middle of a large group of old and stuck-up-looking nobles, all of them discoursing loudly over what sounded like how the wars in Hyrule and Termina had disrupted normal life and commerce. Ichor was hulking near the back of the group, clearly uncomfortable in the situation, but he brightened when he saw Link head his way.

"Hero," he said as he removed himself from the group. No one noticed him leave as they were all absorbed in their own conversations. "It is good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too," Link said as he looked up and down at Ichor. The big man was wearing a broad cloth striped in diagonals of orange, black, and green slung over his shoulder and rather large earrings. Link surmised it must be ceremonious grab and decided not to ask about it. "How are you this evening?"

"Ready to go back to what we did a few weeks ago," Ichor grumbled darkly. "All these niceties are no easy feat for men of action like ourselves."

"I will agree to that," Link replied. "Though speaking of what we did, we might be having another go at it."

Ichor raised an eyebrow. "Even with the Sorceress gone?"

Link winced. Someone hadn't warned Ichor about Avaraleen's fake death. "Yeah, about that…the Sorceress is gone, but the one in charge isn't." Seeing Ichor's blank expression, Link shook his head. "You'll see when you get to the meeting: second door on the left from the entrance."

Ichor nodded, then frowned. "It will be a while before I will be able to get there, so can you warn them that I will be having another with me?"

"You talking about your over-protective shadow that tried to kill me last time?" Link asked, which caused a smile and a nod from Ichor. "No problem, I'll tell them. See you there."

They parted, and Link led Lyka the long way around to the right door so that no one thought anything of the recent conversation. As far as he knew, no one had overheard their conversation, but it wouldn't do for him to be headed straight towards the meeting. This was a covert operation, in more ways than one. Link took advantage of their walking to talk to Lyka. At first, she was unwilling to talk about herself, but after a few stories from Link with his first disastrous attempts at riding and his numerous pranks he'd pulled on people, she was laughing and telling her own. From what he could tell, she had been orphaned at a young age like himself, but what had happened then, she didn't know. Crow had found her wandering the streets and took her in. At first she had been a message runner, but her questions as to what messages she was carrying got her into the shadowy world of intelligence. Some of what she knew was highly confidential, but she was able to tell many of the common misconceptions she'd told many people and how nearly all of them believe what she'd said.

"It never ceases to amaze me how many people really believe that there is a reformed demon underneath the city!" she said as Link chuckled. "I think I've sent at least seven would-be heroes down in the sewers to kill it, and they all came back with a big fish story of how they had it cornered before it disappeared."

Link took a moment to catch his breath before he replied, "Well, here's one who won't be going down there anytime soon, thanks to your warning."

"Aww." Her shoulders slumped and she pushed out her lower lip a little in a tiny pout. "But I was so waiting to hear your version on it."

This set them both off laughing. Link could help but notice that ignoring everyone else was so much easier with Lyka around. She was different from all the others girls, treating him as just a regular guy instead of fawning over him and squealing every time he got close (he couldn't help but hear those as he was walking about). He remembered have a small infatuation with Avaraleen back in the Lost Woods, but the fact that she was fifty-seven had quell that, and her numerous secrets and her general dislike of accepting help when she really needed it hadn't helped at all. Lyka, however, was someone he could see cultivating a relationship with-

_Whoa, back up a bit, man!_ said a little voice, the one that was always saying he was doing something stupid. _You're about to go on a dangerous mission yet again, and you're focused on getting a girl? Get your head straight! You don't have time for this!_

_When will I have time for it?_ he snapped back at it. _I'm eighteen, almost nineteen. I need some reminder for why I'm doing all this besides the fact of it being for "the good of Hyrule." One pretty face who sees me as me is a good enough reason for me, so just shut up._

"Hey? You alright?" Lyka put a hand on his shoulder.

That snapped him out of his thoughts and he shook his head. "I'm fine," he said, giving her a small smile. "Just talking to myself for a bit."

"Must have been an intelligent conversation," she teased, causing him to chuckle again.

"That could be debatable," he said as he cast around one of his glances to check to make sure no one was following them. Before, he'd seen nothing unusual, but this time he froze. His breathing became faster and his vision seemed to change: the sounds of the ball faded away and the walls of the Grand Hall gave way to the rough dark stone of the northern mountains. His hand would've traveled up to the hilt of the Master Sword had Lyka not grabbed it first.

"Link? What is it?" she said, uncertainty clear in her voice. "What do you see?"

"We need to get to the meeting now," Link replied, amazed at how calm he sounded. "I haven't seen him since the mountain, and last time we met, it didn't end well." As far as he was concerned, that shadow version of himself was nothing but trouble…

"You saw what?!" Avaraleen yelped. In the dim lighting, her eyes shone like tiny lanterns. When Link nodded, she let out an impressive stream of curses, causing Crow to sigh.

"At this rate, nothing will surprise you," he said. At Link's and Lyka's confused expressions, he added, "This is the second round of cursing in the past hour, only the last bout was a bit more impressive, if I do say so myself."

Avaraleen made a motion with her head that made Link think she'd rolled her eyes and told Crow to put his compliment somewhere uncomfortable. Crow merely shrugged, seemingly content to take the insult philosophically. Lyka, on the other hand, threw up her hands in frustration. "What are you going on about?" she demanded. "Just who was that shadowy person?"

"Someone I fought for the possession of this," Link said, jerking his thumb at the Master Sword. "He, it, was the one who literally pounded into my head that fighting for revenge is wrong. What I don't get is why it's here. As far as I knew, it disappeared when I defeated it."

"Well, if you don't have a clue, than I guess no one does," Avaraleen said, hand on her hip. "It might be connected to you in some way since it looks like you, but I really don't know. Shades are something I don't know a thing about."

"Is that what that thing is, a shade?" Link asked.

Avaraleen shrugged. "Best way to describe it. Again, I don't know a thing about them."

"But you said it might be connected to me, right?" Link began to pace in what little space left. "So there must be a reason why it came up tonight…" he trailed off and stared at a blank spot on the wall as it hit him. "Tempestade," he breathed.

"What did you just say?" Avaraleen grabbed his arm and whirled him about that his head spun.

Link shook his head to reorient himself. "Tempestade. She's this…strange girl who knows you're alive and wanted to talk to you earlier, but she somehow knew you were here already."

Avaraleen took a step forward. "Describe her to me," she said in a low voice. Link told her every quietly about the girl's strange eyes and wings and even mentioned her bizarre transformation. The description seemed not to faze Avaraleen, but it was hard to tell in the dim lighting and the scarf covering half her face. When he was done, she stepped back and nodded. "That's her alright."

"Who?" Crow asked.

"The old friend I quoted earlier." Avaraleen leaned back against the wall. "Tempestade is, well… different from anyone you will ever meet. She knows more than she'll ever say, and every time she shows up, something beyond belief happens, which reminds me, has that already happened?" She looked over at Link, who nodded.

"We both saw this giant turtle near the entrance and she warned me that the Mushroom Kingdom delegation might need calming down if things got out of hand, but I guess she handled it."

"She usually does. Last time there was these two strange-looking people who reminded me a bit like beetles that showed farther up in the trail as we were talking. She took care of them with no problem." Avaraleen began to pace. "But she never shows up without a good reason. Last time she was here, she told me to rest up but not kill the next Hylian I met. I know now that she meant you, Link, but the last part still confuses me: you'll know what to do when it's time." She tapped her fingers against her hip. "What did she say this time?"

Link cast back to that odd conversation. "Things have changed slightly for the worse and none of us involved are prepared for it. Not everything is as it seems, there's more to this than what's on the surface, and she really wanted you to decode that journal. She said it was how you were going to reveal the whole picture."

"Great, more riddles." Avaraleen let out a sigh. "But at least we have a place to look for answers now. If she says the journal is key, then I see if I can speed up the translation. So far all Rauru and I have gotten is that the journal is, or was, the official record of Order of Knights Below. Apparently fifty years after the Hero from the Sky died, a group of knights came down, intent on protected several sites. Most of these were decoys, but there was one that was priority, but we don't know what so important in that one. Right now it goes on and on about leader changes and who can recite the legend the best."

"Are there people still in the sky?" Link asked. When everyone looked at him with odd expressions, he shrugged. "What? I'm just curious."

"Don't know, and don't care right now." Avaraleen was still pacing. "Our problems are here on the ground right now, so wonder about that later. Right now we have more pressing matters and…hang on, where's Ichor? I thought I asked you to go get him, Lyka?"

Lyka nodded. "Link all but dragged me here when we saw that shadow-thing, but we were able to talk to him and he's on his way. That thing scared me."

_Fear was not my motive. I merely came as a warning._ Link yelped and drew the Master Sword as the shade materialized out of nowhere behind him. It sat on a small table, seemingly unconcerned at the expanse of steel pointed at it, or the ball of blue-violet magic Avaraleen had summoned in her left hand. _What the one said was true: there is a battle that none here can see. What has been sealed is on the verge of breaking loose. An old foe has been resurrected, wearing a new face. Time is essential._

Link lowered his sword point slightly. "Who is this foe?" he asked. He spared a glance at everyone else. The way Crow looked ready to throw himself at the shade and Avaraleen's stance, not to mention the way Lyka stood with a dagger out with the air of one who knew how to use it meant only he could hear the shadow.

The shade cocked his. _One who has come before and has been defeated before. _It began to fade away._ Sacrifices have been made and must be again. Bonds must be shattered to become stronger. Foe becomes ally. Ally becomes foe. Time is essential._

"Wait!" Link cried, leaping forward, but the shade vanished before he could take a step. "Fire of Din burn him," he growled as he jammed the Master Sword back in its sheathe.

"What did it say?" Avaraleen asked, letting the magic she'd summoned to dissipate.

"Something about a seal breaking loose, an old foe coming back with a new face and some gibberish out foe becoming ally and so on. It kept stressing 'time is essential.'" Link rubbed the back of his neck. "Did I miss the notice about this being a night of riddles?"

"No, this is more like the Goddesses sending messages." Avaraleen sat down on a table. "I think I know what Tempestade meant by things changing for the worse, though I have no idea what her definition of 'slightly' is." She looked over at Lyka. "We need Ichor in here now. He needs to here this."

Lyka bristled. "Why do I always have to-?" she began, but a knock on the door saved her from what Link thought might've been a potentially dangerous argument. Crow faded into the shadows on the far side as Avaraleen opened the door just a hair before admitting the hulking form of Ichor. She went to close the door, but a smaller, nimble shadow slipped in after the Terminian.

Avaraleen seemed to have expected this as she grabbed the shadow around the neck. "Oh, good, you decided to come. We need to talk." Bright light filled the room, causing everyone but the caster to swear profusely with Crow being the loudest. When his eyes cleared, Link was only mildly surprised to see Avaraleen holding the Garo by the front of her hood. Even in bright light, the Garo's eyes gleamed like coals, and the way this one was swearing (even though he could make out a word she was saying), she was ready to rip Avaraleen's arm off at the shoulder, which got Link to thinking to which one of them would win in a death match.

"Enough." That single word, though spoken at Avaraleen's normal volume, brought immediate silence. If Link had to describe it, he would say that it was though she had gathered the force of just one day in the Gerudo Desert and uttered it in one word, and he was going to learn how to do that on of these days sine it would solve so many of his problems. "As I said, we need to talk, but I can't do that if you can't hear me over yourself and everyone else." She moved around so that she was in clear view of the Garo. "Who are you?"

The Garo struggled a bit, but upon realizing there was no escape from Avaraleen's iron grip, subsided and muttered something.

Avaraleen shook her oh so slightly. "Speak up so all may here you."

"Why should I give you anything?" the Garo repeated.

"Because I one you really don't want to get angry, and seeing how you just barged in here without so much as a 'by your leave,' I think I'll be the one asking the questions, not you." Link noticed Avaraleen's free hand was on her hip, dangerously close to the one blade she wore openly. "Now either you tell me why you're following these two, or the last thing you will be following is the road to the other side, and demons can take any political crap for all I care."

The Garo said nothing, but her body language clearly screamed _Bring it on_, a message Avaraleen completely received for she whipped out her blade and held it oh so gently against the Garo's throat. "I could, right now," she said softly, "but I know there is a chance that you do not pose a threat to what we all here are striving for. That chance is the only reason why you're still alive. You may have avoided those I sent to find you, but still we would have met and if I thought you were a threat, I would have killed you. All I'm asking is for you to explain who you are and why you're following. Give me a reason for giving you the benefit of a doubt."

Link flinched slightly at this; if he had understood it properly, Avaraleen was asking the Garo to actually help her with a personal decision. He'd had the nagging feeling the half-Gerudo had a problem trusting her judgment about people she didn't know personally ever since she'd told him about the first time she'd met Zamur and Karamus. For her to admit that, however slightly, was her way of trying to regain that sense back.

Silence reigned in the room for what felt like hours, everyone holding their breath. Then the Garo sighed. "Aye, you are right," she said softly. "My name is Ella of the Garo tribe but my mission is one forged in shadow and secret."

"Unfortunately for you, so is the one you barged into." Avaraleen released Ella, but did not return her blade to its sheath. "All here are a part of it and know the details as they emerge, so you still have to tell us why." There came a moment's pause. "The door is warded against eavesdroppers if that is what you're wondering."

"Indeed it was." Ella slowly pulled back her hood to reveal an attractive heart-shaped face framed by short black hair. Her eyes were still that unnerving orange-gold shade, but they weren't as bright out from under her hood. "One can never be too careful, and I do regret having to intrude into a mission that is not mine, but there is no other way."

Avaraleen sighed heavily. "Speak not in riddles. I've had enough for one night."

Link silently agreed with her. At this rate, his head was going to explode.

Ella's shoulders slumped slightly as she turned to Ichor. "There have been attacks from the surviving Interlopers. One of the skirmishes severely injured your father, and he is ailing, I fear, for the worst. As I left to come here, your brothers had followed the remaining seven into the Stone Tower."

Ichor was stunned, and after going through one danger-ridden temple with him where he had gotten stabbed in the side and seemed to merely shrug it off, Link was caught off-guard to see the big man shaken. "Did they enter the temple?" Ichor asked.

Ella bowed her head. "I know not, but I believe they may have if their quarry led them into that accursed place."

Ichor groaned and sank onto a table with his head in his hands. Avaraleen lowered her blade as Link looked between Ichor and Ella. "Do I want to know what's going on?" he asked.

Ella looked at him. "The brothers of Lord Ichor, all five of them, may have entered a place in the Ikana Canyon that has been cursed for as long as our history speaks. None who enter the Temple at the summit of Stone Tower ever return, and if the five brothers do not return, then Lord Ichor will be the last heir to the Ikana throne. Already his father, King Igreis, ails from his battles, and he does not have the strength he once had." She looked back at Ichor, who was now murmuring what sounded like prayers in his native language. "I was sent to ensure Lord Ichor remains alive during his time here in Hyrule, lest there be turmoil within the Canyon. I did not know that he was involved in yet another quest. My apologies, priestess." She bowed towards Avaraleen.

"You are forgiven." Avaraleen sheathed her blade and let the light she'd summoned fade away so the group was left into the near darkness state Link had walked into. "I know you spoke the truth, and I understand completely that Ichor is your top priority, but I will warn you only once: when it comes to this venture and I find out something happened to Link while Ichor's fine and you did nothing, I will come after you, and believe me, I will find out. Understood?"

Ella bowed again, and Avaraleen nodded. "Good, now we can get to why we all are really here. Daren's sent word, so the Fire Temple in the heart of Death Mountain is the next location."

"Uh, how exactly are we going to survive the heat?" Link asked. "This place is in the middle of a volcano."

"He also sent heat protection." Avaraleen looked at Crow, who nodded to Lyka. The girl sighed and began pulling at a thin strap of red leather woven around her waist. Something dark red began to sag from under her dress to pool around her feet. When last of the strap was pulled free, she bent over and collected the red material, while being careful not to tangle her feet in it, to hand to Avaraleen.

Avaraleen took one look at it and laughed. "Of course, why didn't I think of it?" She ran the material through her hands. "It's so simple, but then again, it's practically impossible to get it."

"What is it?" Link asked. Whatever it was, it had a kind of metallic sheen to it and looked vaguely familiar.

"Dodongo skin." Link nodded: now that he thought of it, the skin did look like it had come off a lizard similar to the one he'd killed months ago, albeit a much smaller one, and somehow the scales had been removed. He had one question though. "How did they even get the skin? I thought the smaller ones blew up when they die."

"By the looks of it, this one was killed by a straight thrust through the mouth." Avaraleen held up the skin to show him. "There's no puncture marks anywhere on the skin, and as you know, the only surefire way to kill something is to go for the head, but with Dodongos, you usually damage part of the lungs which they use to breathe fire, and that causes the explosion. However, if you can get just the right angle into the throat and hit the heart, but avoid the lungs, then you have one giant lizard with heat resistant skin that is all too easy for me to modify so a decent amount can protect the two, excuse me, three of you."

"How long will that take?"

"No more than a day, which all of you can use to gather supplies and recover for tonight."

Link took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Ok, so we won't die of heat exhaustion, but what else is in there besides heat, fire and lava that can kill us?"

"Oh, aren't you so cheery," Avaraleen said. She leaned back against the wall. "Besides the usually fiery bats and skulls that fly around with wreathes of fire around them, there are these…things that I call Flare Dancers. They're vaguely humanoid, but they have torso that look like coal and arms and legs made of fire and they're always found in a room with a pit of fire nearby. The only way I figure out to kill them is you have to knock the torso away from the rest of it and destroy it before it jumps back into the pit." She sighed. "But that's not the worst of it. Crow?"

"Yet another Interloper will be there before you." Crow moved forward so he commanded their attention. "This one is Volmar, a talented fire-mage along with his shadow magic. This one is well known in my profession as he enjoys appear where you least expect him and barrage you with fire."

"He is, however, quite vain, so if you find a good enough insult to anger him, he might lose some of his focus and his unpredictability." Avaraleen sounded as though she was hiding a smile. "The best way is to after his hair, as he thinks that is most valuable quality, though there were times I wanted to cut it off when he was asleep."

Link heaved a sigh. "Anything else?"

"Not quite…" Avaraleen sound hesitant, as though she really didn't want to talk about it, but she had to. "There has been a new development. Remember what I said about what I think Tempestade meant when she said things had changed slightly for the worse? Well… Crow just found out Zamur's favorite tools are still around."

Link's eyebrow shot up. "What?"

"They're called Markers. Not too many people know about them because those who met them were never seen again." Avaraleen's tone was becoming harsher by the minute. "They're trackers and sometime assassins. The three of you need to be on your guard in there because I don't know who they're after. Avoid deep shadows because there is where they lurk and if you see one, don't be deceived by their appearance."

"What do they look like?" Ichor asked.

"A shadow in the shape of a human, very much like the Shade, but not as solid. Avoid them if you can, but if they attack, whatever you do, don't let them touch your skin!"

"Why?" Link was being to get a little nervous by the way she was acting.

"They're called Markers for a reason; if they touch you, even the slightest bit, they leave a trace of strong Shadow magic that can and will be used to track you, and if you near a deep enough shadow, Zamur may even be able to lock on that trace and use it to pull you through the shadow to where ever he is." Avaraleen began to pace again. "They are the main reason why I hate Zamur so much and the main objection of my role during the war. I was the one eliminating them."

"But what can we do if they do touch us?" Ella asked.

Avaraleen sank into a chair. "If one of them does touch you, I can remove it, but it is a painful process, so try to avoid them at all cost. If they touch cloth or a part of you equipment, throw it in the nearest fire. That will throw off the trace. They can be killed by traditional methods, but I suggest shoot at them from a distance." Sighing, she ran a hand over her hair. "But that is all of it for this temple. For now, enjoy the rest of the evening."

One by one, they began to file out. Link was the last in the room besides Crow and Avaraleen. The older man had a hard look in his eye as he murmured something Sheikah to Avaraleen. She answered back in the same language in a tone that left him wishing he spoke the language, because it sounded like she was planning something…

"Come on," Lyka said, pulling at his hand. "I think we've dealt with enough depressing matters, and I really don't want to know what _that_ was about."

"Do you speak Sheikah?" Link asked, allowing her to pull him outside.

"Enough to get around, but when those who speak it fluently know there is someone around who can listen in, they start using vague phrases so that it's practically a language within a language."

A thought struck Link. "Is Crow Sheikah?"

Lyka winced. "Not so loud!" she hissed. "He once was, but then he left long ago for reasons I don't know. That was long before he found me on the streets."

"You're an orphan?"

Lyka shrugged. "I didn't know my father and my mother died when I was young. Crow found me as I was attempting to pick his pocket when I was six. Instead of turning me into the guards, he took me in as a message runner for his network, and when I became old enough, he trained me to handle some of his more important contacts." She looked around fervently, but all the nobles were too absorbed in their own conversations to care what anyone else was saying. "But don't tell anyone about Crow. There are some who will do anything to find out who he really is. I don't even know his real name."

"Don't worry, I won't." Link rubbed a hand over his face. "All this secrecy gives me a headache if I think about it too much."

Lyka giggled as they ventured further into the crowd nobles just as raised voices drew their attention to the dancers in the center. Zelda was there, along with a group of young noblemen as she argued with one of them. From what Link could figure out, this one had asked her to dance three times before and wanted a fourth, but the Princess had said no, and he was upset. The surrounding young men were silently lending their support to the Princess as she explained in diplomatic terms that practically, he needed to wait his turn and let everyone else have a chance. Link wasn't surprised to see Sir Fernald from before in the group behind Zelda. The knight actually had his right hand cocked to the inside, as though he longed to draw a sword he wasn't wearing.

"Ah, Sir Dragnor," Lyka sighed, "when will you learn that she just _doesn't like you_?"

"'Cause he's too busy trying to get her attention?" Link guessed. It was common knowledge that the throne was practically up for grabs to whoever married Zelda, but said Princess was in the way of just anyone getting it. So far, she hadn't shown favoritism to anyone, but it was only a matter of time before the Council of Nobles pressed her into marrying some. Taking a closer look as the crowd, Link could see all the hopefuls gathered around her.

"No, he just wants to change her mind." Avaraleen appeared behind them. "As do all the other puppies, but if he tries to take her hand one more time, she's going to-oh, there she goes."

Dragnor had reached for Zelda's hand, but the moment her had a hold of it, she jerked it back, pulled her fan from where it hung from her belt, and slammed the base right in the corner of his jaw. Dragnor crumpled to the floor and the Princess whirled to face the crowd behind her, holding the fan before her and pointing it at them. "Now I want all of you to remember this next time I tell you multiple times to back off. Understood?" All of them nodded mutely and she lowered the fan. "Good. Now I need to take a break as I have been dancing for the past two hours. Please excuse me." She walked away from them, but Link thought he saw Fernald watch her not with pure astonishment as the others did, but had it mixed with satisfaction in that slight smile he had when he watched the Princess go.

Link snapped his attention back to his immediate surroundings when the Zelda came towards where he, Lyka and Avaraleen stood. "Princess," Avaraleen said, inclining her head as Link copied her and Lyka performed a somewhat awkward curtsy as though she unfamiliar with the move.

"Tri-Priestess, Link, mistress" Zelda replied. Link felt Lyka edge slightly behind him and surmised that she was very uncomfortable being near royalty. "I trust I find you all well?"

"I've had better nights, but then again, I've had worst." Avaraleen's voice still had that harsh edge, but that was most likely due to her keeping her cover as a Gerudo priestess.

"Yes, I believe that can be said for most of us here." Zelda snapped open fan. Using it to shield her mouth, she whispered, "How did I do?"

Avaraleen's scarf twitched. "Very well. I think most of them got the point, but you may have to deal with complaints from the parents."

"A good compromise leaves everyone unhappy." Zelda shrugged and looked out over the hall. "If they'll back off next time I tell them to, then I will happily ignore all complaints from their parents." A small smile crept over her face. "However, I believe I'm not the only one who has to worry about parents." She nodded towards a stately older woman headed their way. It took Link a little while to recognized Lady Bernadette and felt a small surge of panic as he realized she was head straight towards him.

"Oh no," he murmured. "Advice, help, anyone, please!"

"Try right behind you," Avaraleen said.

Lyka gave a sharp intake of breath from behind as Link turned to Avaraleen."What?" She only raised an eyebrow at him before stepping slightly to the side. Zelda followed suit so he and Lyka were by themselves.

_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap_. Link thought quickly, but it wasn't until Lady Bernadette was five feet away when he finally got what Avaraleen meant. Turning quickly to Lyka, he blurted out, "Will you dance with me?"

"Of course," Lyka replied with a smile. She snuck a glance over his shoulder and let her smile become a smirk. Link glance that way himself and allowed himself a sigh of relief as he saw the matchmaking mother storm off in the opposite direction.

"What was that about?" he asked as he led Lyka out on the dance floor.

"Oh, just me saying 'I win,"' she said.

Just as the music started, Link remembered one crucial detail. "I can't dance that well," he admitted.

"Lucky for you then, this one is easy." She grabbed his left hand and placed it on her right shoulder blade while holding his right in her left. "Start with your left foot and follow my lead. We'll start on three. One, two, three…"

After a few missteps, Link got the hang of the waltz. It helped a bit that repeating one of his favorite phrases kept him in: _I hate this, I hate this, I hate this, I really hate this_. The last was when Lyka was to do a spin. Surprisingly, all of his sword training helped him keep his balance and making a bigger idiot of himself, so he was able to enjoy himself, slightly. Lyka, on the other hand, looked to be having the time of her life.

"You know, you're not that bad of a dancer," she said.

"I'm just concentrating on my feet," Link replied, "while trying to avoid looking at everyone else."

She laughed, and he felt himself smiling as well. "Well, that would hard to do as everyone is staring at us. I think we'll be latest source of palace gossip."

Link shrugged. "I think that'll a pleasant change from the gossip dealing with what I may or may not have been involved in." He shook his head. "I really hate being in the center of attention."

Lyka tilted her head. "You are defiantly not the person I saw when you first came to the castle."

Link raised his eyebrows. "You were there?"

"Yes I was, but I wasn't part of the cheering crowd."

"You wouldn't be one of the ones begging me to marry you?"

"No, but that was my friend Lily on a dare. No, I was a part of the glaring section of the crowd. You did have that look on your face that we all interpreted as stuck up."

Link grimaced. "Sorry. I wasn't in the mood to be in the middle of a crowd and the King insisted and I really didn't like him at the time. I was actually trying to find a way to escape that parade."

The song ended, and the two step away from each other, Link rather reluctantly. There came an awkward silence, then Lyka looked around in a wild attempt to break it. "Do you want to go get something to eat, because I am starving."

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" Link offered his arm and she slipped her arm through it with a smile.

ooo0ooo

"If I didn't know better, I would be accusing you of playing the matchmaker." Zelda grinned at Avaraleen.

The priestess merely shrugged as she watched the two walk away. "I had nothing to do with it."

The princess sighed. "I do envy her."

"As will all the unmarried women of Hyrule and a good percentage of the married ones," Avaraleen added, "but I'm afraid you're a little too high up the nobility ladder for him to even consider you."

"I didn't mean that way, although you do have a point there." Zelda waved her fan idly in front of her. "No, what I meant was I envy her freedom: she can be with any man, and she could care less of what the world thinks. I, however, have to be careful of who I choose."

Avaraleen looked closely at Zelda. The Princess's tone was wishful, but there was a note of longing mixed with regret. "You have one in mind, don't you?" Avaraleen asked. A faint blush crept over Zelda's cheeks, an answer as clear as day.

"I knew it!" Avaraleen whispered cheerfully. "Who is he?"

Zelda hid her face behind her fan, but not before glancing in one direction. Avaraleen followed her gaze and one eyebrow shot up at who she saw. "Interesting. Does he know?"

"No one does, not even my chaperone." Zelda seemed a little hurt now someone knew her secret, a secret she'd kept from even her personal Sheikah guard.

Avaraleen put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "No one will learn from me, but remember this: get him before someone else does. You may be the Princess, but he's the type who'll only wait so long before he finds something else and both of you may regret it for the rest of your life."

Zelda took a deep breath. "But how do I tell him?"

Avaraleen smiled. "Normally I'd tell you to tell him outright, but seeing your unique situation, write him a note asking him to meet you in a secluded place and I'll drop it in his pocket. You two meet, you tell him, and let it go on from there."

"That sounds like a plan." The Princess began to look around, but stopped as Avaraleen handed her a small notebook and a pen. "Ah, thank you." Quick she wrote a note, sighed it, then folded it in half.

Avaraleen took the note. "See you in a few," she said before slipping through the milling crowd. She allowed a small smile to curl her lips. First Link and Lyka, now the Princess; at this rate, she was going to be called a matchmaker regardless of what she'd say. Still, this was a great deal more pleasant than what she'd done in the past.

The thought made her smile falter. She hated Markers with a passion due to the fact they were beings of heavily tainted Shadow, something that was just not natural. If there was one thing that got on her nerves without cease, it was when someone twisted one of the natural magicks for his own gain. Just even being near one of the Markers was enough to make her vomit, which was the reason why she'd hunted them and those who'd made them with a passion. She'd thought she'd gotten them all, but they were just like cockroaches: they just wouldn't die. Just when she'd thought she'd gotten them all, that bastard waterless son of a Goddess-forsaken, weakling Leever had to go teach someone else. At this rate, she was going to have to skip what she wanted to do the idiot and have to settle for burning him in his lair along with all of his notes on that disgusting subject.

She froze. Like the complete idiot she was, she'd forgotten to warn Link about the mages that might be behind the Markers. Valmar wasn't one, thank the Goddesses, because he thought that type of "dirty magic was beneath him, but Crow's network had report a person seemingly made of shadows moving towards the south. It took a mage of considerable power to conjure enough shadow and twist it into one. Zamur was strong enough to send them from wherever he was as long as he was in Hyrule, but others weren't so lucky. Those had to be on scene in order to control their creations, but the drawback had its advantage: if the Marker was destroyed, they could retaliate quickly, if they weren't tapped out from summoning the thing in the first place. Most tried to run away, but Avaraleen was one not to let her quarry escape.

South. There was the possibility it was not headed towards Kakariko and hence Death Mountain, but towards the Lost Woods. Avaraleen had never told anyone about the secret paths among the trees and it was likely that the thing would have a hard time trying to find its way in, but the more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed that particular one was headed towards the Forest Temple, and the Kokiri currently residing within it.

She grinned. At last, she had an excuse to come out of the castle and no one could find fault with it. There was only one hitch in the plan: whose horse was she going to use?

ooo0ooo

It struggled in her grip, but that was just a futile gesture. The iron bands on its arms made for perfect grips for her claws, despite the spikes, and there was no room for it to turn around to snap at her. She growled at it, though, just to keep it quiet and reassert her authority in this matter. Such struggles could be a distraction when she was flying as it could mess up the tempo of her wings.

Tempestade wriggled in delight from her head to her tail. It wasn't often that she was able to do this, but when she did, she loved to make the most of it. Still, she hated the consequences that came from breaking the wall, but rules were rules. Things would've been easier had she not interfered when she did, but that would've involved another person who most likely would've been forgotten and never heard from again, and all of that was just too much trouble to go through. Besides, what was the point of doing this if one didn't enjoy it every now and then? The consequences were to ensure no one interfered too much. Still, the random creatures from often completely unrelated worlds were still annoying as they loved to show up just as she was passing some crucial piece of info. The last time it had been those insect things from one of her favorite series. Those had been a nightmare to get rid of, but now they were gone. Now she only had to throw Bowser back into the hole from whence he came…

A storm was brewing in the west, so she angled her wings so the wind pushed her towards it. A rumble of thunder seemed to greet her as she entered the dark clouds and she growled right back in acknowledgement. She'd had weirder conversations with other inanimate objects, but that wasn't the first thing on her mind. Right now she was looking for-aha, there it was! Two bolts of lightning had hit each other and formed a whole large enough for the giant turtle to go through to a land filled with lava. Counting her wing beats, she hovered in midair as she began to swing Bowser back and forth. When the timing felt right, she swung him forward and released him. She couldn't resist: she shouted, "So long-a, Bowser!" as he went through in the best Italian accent she could muster. Laughing as only a dragon could, she turned to face the castle.

It was still aglow as the Spring Ball continued, but she was no longer needed there. It was time to go home.

Arching her long neck so her chin touched her chest, she closed her eyes and softly growled a handful of words. Twin flashes illuminated the sky and the inside of her eyelids. Opening her eyes, she found another portal, much like the one she threw Bowser in, but instead of lava, she saw it inside of a small closet. She maneuvered herself through the portal and felt her wings disappeared as she once more became just a normal teenage girl. The only thing out of place was the line of light on the back of the door, but that was easily covered up with a layer of duct tape. Nothing was going to get through that. Opening the door, she walked out of the closet, flopped down on the bed and frowned at the split screen of her laptop, one half showing a paused video of Twilight Princess, the other a nearly completed chapter of her longest project to date. She nodded. Everything looked in order. All that was left to do was the…

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Ha ha! I could not resist putting myself in here! I really didn't want to add in another character that me and everyone else was going to forget because I most likely might have kill him off or something like that, so I just threw in what might become a semi-repeating character. Yes, I admit, I broke the fourth wall and the entrance is in my closet, but duct tape does keep the nasties away!<p>

Ok, as am why I'm so late with this, I have been busy this summer what with my job giving me crazy hours and no time near a computer, me spending time with friends, and generally, I did hit a massive case of writer's block. I restarted this whole chapter several times before I was happy with it. As such, I feel that I must warn you all: I may not be able to update on a regular schedule. School has just started for me, and right now I have one of the toughest classes I have to take. I really need to focus on that, so this might take a back burner. Sorry, but that's life. However, this is the longest chapter I've written so far, so enjoy it.

Still though, tell your friends, send reviews, and keep reading what I've got so far. Next chapter I promise is going to be the Fire Temple, so break out the water bottles and the aloe, because I think someone's going to need it. I don't know who yet, but someone will get burned! Oh, and can someone send me some marshmallows? I've been craving a good s'more lately, and all that fire…Well, I'm hungry.

Oh, one more thing, no stealing my cover! That took me three months to make by hand and yes, I still own it.

Usually by now I would have thrown in some reference to a random Zelda character or two, but seeing how I just threw myself in this, I'm just going to skip that part and right on to the end. That's all for now, so until next time, dragoness of storm, out! See ya!


	17. Out of the Frying Pan

Thanks to: Torey Mattews, Dire Heart, Riku Uzumaki, Storm Dragon Eclipse, Lilneo, and the other usual anonymous readers who give this fic all those hits and are oh so patient with me.

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><p><em>Someone's following us.<em>

Link lay near one of the open lava pits located in the crater of Death Mountain. He was supposed to be sleeping, but that one thought nagged at him. Instinct screamed at him not to drop his guard, not to do anything that might distract him and get him and everyone else killed. If it meant losing a bit of sleep, he didn't mind if it meant he would live another day, but the feeling still annoyed him.

He, Ichor, and Ella had left the castle late the night after the Spring Ball. All three still wore their regular clothes, but underneath each wore a tight-fitting jerkin of the Dodongo skin Avaraleen had given them just that afternoon. To all of their surprise, they found the priestess in the stable when they were about to depart.

"Are you coming with us?" Link had asked, his sudden stop at Avaraleen's appearance causing Chaser to bump his nose against Link's shoulder as he was leading the stallion out of his stall.

"Only as far as Goron City," she replied, "but there we go our separate ways."

"Will you be returning here then, Priestess?" Ichor questioned.

"No, I'll be heading to the Lost Woods." Avaraleen went over to the stall of a palomino mare.

"Are not the Woods in another direction?" Ichor paused mounting up on Steady to look at her.

"That's the traditional way to go there, but I'm normally not one for tradition." Avaraleen threw a saddle over the mare's back and buckled the girth before leading the mare out using only her hand on its neck. "There's a way for me to get to the Woods from Death Mountain."

"But why are you going there?" Link wanted to know. "And whose horse are you borrowing?"

"She's mine now. Gerudo policy." Avaraleen swung into the saddle and guided the mare with her knees as she readjusted the scarf she still wore over her face. "As for why I'm going there, I've got Crow sending messages to the others about the Markers and you can tell Daren, but no one's willing to go into the Lost Woods and check on Tamera, so I volunteered."

Link and Ichor exchanged a glance. Link shrugged: Avaraleen had a point, someone had to warn Tamera, and it wasn't as if the Kokiri were any sort of warriors. He shuddered slightly at the memory of having to leave the little Kokiri alone in the basement of that manor. She had the time and the skills to do it, but Link wanted to add one condition. "You better come right back when you're done."

She sighed and rolled her eyes at him. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were Crow's brother as he said the same thing to me. Yes, I will go straight there, and I will come back alive. I know how these Markers work and how Zamur thinks: he'll send a lower level one after who he thinks is a kid." She raised an eyebrow at the three of them. "It's yourselves that you three need to worry about. You're racing against Zamur, so not only do you have to deal that vain prick who's most likely already there, but also at least one difficult Marker he's sent after you."

"Okay, we get the point: keep an eye on each other's back and all that." Link swung into his saddle and nudged Chaser to the entrance. "But we're wasting time standing here talking when we can do that while we ride."

"Yessir." Avaraleen gave him a mock two-finger salute as she kneed her mare beside him. She turned to Ichor as he helped Ella up behind him. "Would you believe that he's only a private in the army?"

"With that tone, I would have thought he was at least a sergeant," Ella said, "but then again, he does not have the discipline for one."

Link raised his eyes to the heavens. So Ichor's shadow had a sense of humor now. Great, he could definitely see them getting along splendidly if she kept up with the verbal barbs. Well, there was no way he was going to let her get away with that, and he allowed a small crooked grin as a part of his mind that had not been active lately gave him a few ideas.

But all of those were going to have to wait as the four of them galloped out of Market Town to Kakariko, where they left the horses in a stable usually reserved for Sheikah messengers. At Avaraleen's instance, both Link and Ichor wore their cloaks when they rode into town to avoid any unwanted attention, even though they'd arrived in the dead of night, but that idea was doomed to failure as there was nothing they could do about Ichor's size, and considering the Sheikah were normally a small race, he was very obvious. However, he hardly got any of the weird looks from the few people around as most of them were directed towards Avaraleen. The fake tri-priestess, however, was ignoring them as she led them through the town to the road to Death Mountain.

Halfway there, though, she paused, looked towards the windmill on the far side of town, and shuddered slightly. Link came up behind her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"The Shadow Temple." He could barely hear her. "It lies behind the graveyard, and I can never shake the feeling that there is something unusually wrong in that place."

"Unusually wrong?" Ichor asked, giving the graveyard a suspicious glance of his own.

Avaraleen shook her head. "You'll figure out when you get there. Right now we need to get out of here before someone starts asking questions."

A few words with the guard at the gate gave them access to Death Mountain Trail and, aside from a few annoying Tektites jumping out at them unexpectedly a few times, the journey up went smoothly. At the fork where the trail split between the way to Goron City and the peak of Death Mountain, Avaraleen stopped and nodded at the way up. "This is where I leave you. Daren's waiting for you just inside the cave on the right when you reach the top." She pinned the three of them with her gaze. "You three be carful in there. This is not the Forest Temple. Valmar will know the Cubus Sisters failed and he will try to kill you. Be on your guard and watch each other's back."

"Do not worry, priestess, I will keep an eye on both of them," Ella said. "You have my word on this."

Avaraleen sighed. "You better, or you know I will find you. Now get in there before we waste anymore time."

Ichor and Ella nodded to her and started up the mountain. Link went to follow them, but Avaraleen grabbed his arm. He turned around and felt his eyebrows shoot up in surprise when she pulled down her scarf to reveal her worried face.

"Link...watch your back in there. I highly doubt Zamur has begun to use Markers just because you defeated four lower-ranked Interlopers. I believe his motives have changed, but not his end goal."

Link nodded. "Got it, but you better be careful as well in the Forest Temple. He might think you're dead, but we don't need word of a powerful priestess getting around."

She chuckled. "No, we don't, but don't worry about me: I will be keeping a low profile from now on, which will make it difficult for anyone, friend or foe, to find me." She pushed him towards the trail. "Now get going. The sooner you get in there, the sooner you get out."

Link nodded again and jogged to catch up Ichor and Ella. The three of them reached the peak and found Daren right where Avaraleen said he would be, which led to where they all were now.

Rolling over on his back, Link gazed at the few stars visible through the smoke billowing out of the crater. He'd originally thought Avaraleen had been over-reacting to the situation, but now...now he understood why. The thought of potentially being stalked by a shadow unnerved him now that it had finally settled in, and he just couldn't shake the feeling that someone, or something, was now following them. He just wanted to find the thing and take it out, but he had now idea where, or even what, it was.

Heaving a sigh, Link gave up on trying to sleep and pushed himself up to his feet. He went over to the rock out-cropping where Ella sat on watch. It had taken a few moments of explanation to Daren as to why there was suddenly a third member to their party, but the Goron didn't seem to mind the tiny Garo joining them.

"All is well, Hero," she said, not even sparing him a glance. "I would have woken everyone if there was something amiss."

Link leaned against the rock. "I got a feeling something's out there that I can't shake, and it won't let me sleep."

That got her attention, if only a little as she glanced down at him. "Strange that I have not. Are you sure it is not your imagination?"

Link looked at her. "No, I've felt this way before, and it hasn't been wrong yet."

"Hmm..." was all she said. Link scanned the landscape before him, but the combination of the dim red glow coming from the lava, the smoke billowing out all over the place, and it being night made seeing anything out of the normal night near impossible. Still, he could sense something out there, hiding in the shifting shadows despite what Ella said. He heard a sigh come from her and gave her a sidelong glance as she slid off the rock.

"I still cannot sense anything out of the ordinary, but then again, Hyrule is different from Termina." She gestured towards the rock. "Perhaps you would like to start your watch early if you cannot sleep."

Link shrugged. "Why not?" He jumped up on the rock as Ella went to a spot near Ichor and curled up in a way where she could see both her charge and Link at the same time if something happened.

Shaking his head, Link stared out into the shifting darkness. _I know you're there, he said silently to whatever waited there. You can hide from everyone else here, but I've gone up against too many of your master's lackeys for you just to simply sneak up on us. So consider yourself warned._

A thought ran through the back of his mind, and he chuckled at himself. _Seeing shadows no one else can. Great, now I'm turning into Avaraleen._

The morning came, but the sense of something watching them never left, which caused to Link constantly glancing over his shoulder until Daren brought them into the first room in the Fire Temple. Lava was everywhere: covering the floor, pouring in through cracks in the walls, occasionally bubbling up in places. There were three outcroppings with doors along the walls and a few platforms that would allow someone to cross the room if they were careful.

"Our guest has beat us here," Daren said. He pointed to the outcropping to the left. "There lies the heart of the Fire Temple, but the door locks itself when someone reaches that place."

"So, we're stuck out here?" Link asked.

The Goron shook his head and smiled. "The door locking is merely a security measure to prevent raw Fire from escaping and possibly causing an eruption of the mountains. When it does lock, a key appears on one side of the Temple. We can use that to unlock the door and get inside."

"What lies on the other side?" Ichor asked.

Daren shrugged. "The remainder of a vault that we haven't found a use for yet. Our history says that it once held an item your predecessor needed to reach what is now the heart of the Temple, Link."

Link gave a half-shrug. "So that means one way is useless to us and the other holds the key we need to get where we really need to go, right?"

"Yes." Daren pointed to the outcropping to the right. "That's the way we need to go for the key."

"Then let us go," Ella said, and she leapt across the platforms.

The Fire Temple, to put it simply, was a maze filled with fire, rolling boulders, and, of course, lava. More than once one of them would move forward and suddenly stop as a wall of fire erupted up in front of them or a giant boulder rolled past. To make matters worse, Lizafos appeared at some of the most inappropriate times, causing them to have their weapons ready at all times.

"Are all of these temples just giant death traps?" Link wondered out loud as Daren once more jumped back from yet another wall of flame.

"The harder it is to enter, the more it discourages...unwanted users of that power." Daren steered them past the maze of fire. "Fire is a powerful force, one that is considered destructive. So destructive, in fact, that I have no idea how the Sor- Priestess," he hastily corrected himself as Link gave him a warning look, "will be able to combine Fire with the others to do what she plans."

"Well, don't ask me: when it comes to things magic, I usually limit myself to kill the mage in battle or run away from whatever spell they're coming up with," Link replied, glancing behind them to see if anything was following them. "When everyone starts talking magic, I usually ignore then unless they're telling me which Mage to whack, and then I might listen to what they have to say."

"I will agree with you there, Hero," Ichor said. "When in doubt, kill the mage."

Daren chucked. "I hope you're never in doubt around me."

This got a laugh out of Link. "Don't worry, Daren. Right now the only mage targets we have are the Interlopers, and you're the farthest thing from one."

"Good to know," Daren said as he stopped in front of an unassuming door. "Ah, here it is. This is where the key is kept, though knowing my ancestors, there's something guarding to make sure some fool doesn't get into the heart of the mountain."

"So if we all die in there, we're all a bunch of idiots," Link mused out loud. When he caught the looks of everyone else, he shrugged. "What?"

"There are times when you seem older than what you are," Ichor said slowly, "but then there are time when I am reminded that you are only eighteen."

"And this is one of them," Ella added.

Link rolled his eyes. "I'm young and I've seen more than others twice my age. Let me have my bit of fun every now and then before somebody sends me off to a painful death against some powerful person."

Daren clapped him on the shoulder, leaving a bruise in the process. "Ha, ha, you are much like the Gorons that way: have fun while you can before duty calls."

"If you say so..." Link rotated his shoulder as he remembered the feast the Gorons threw after they learned hhe'd defeated a King Dodongo. Why do all the Gorons love giving people bruises every time they greet or agree with someone?

The bruise was forgotten, however, when they found out what was behind the door. An ornate chest sat in the corner, but the second the door closed behind them, iron bars shot out from the top, sealing the four of them inside, as a wall of fire surrounded the chest and the raised pit in the center of the room flared to life and spat out five large lumps of coal. Each lump shook slightly when it hit the ground before sprouting twig like limbs of flame and began to dance around the room.

Link drew his sword and swung his shield up. These had to be the Flare Dancers Avaraleen had told them about, and he cast his mind back to remember how to defeat them.

_The only way I figure out to kill them is you have to knock the torso away from the rest of it and destroy it before it jumps back into the pit._

Link nodded as he raised his shield and focused on one of the Flare Dancers. All he had to do was knock out the torso and destroy it. Compared to Zamur, how hard could it be?

His answer: very hard. No matter how hard he hit the torso, the lump of coal never moved fast enough to lose its fiery limbs, and the others were not having any luck as well. Daren pummeled two of them, one after the other, while Ichor and Ella tag-teamed with the remaining pair. She would distract one as Ichor aimed for the torso in an attempt to knock it out. However, none of them were getting anywhere near to forcing the coal away from the flames.

Backing away as his target began a series of twirls meant to set him on fire, Link felt something slide under his boot and nearly lost his balance. A horizontal slash forced the Flare Dancer back and bought a moment's reprieve, which he used to glance down to see what nearly cost him his life. He saw what appeared to be an old, worn-out war hammer that might have once belong to some long dead adventurer. Whosever it once had been, it did given him an idea.

Throwing his shield back to its usual spot, he scooped up the hammer in his right hand while keeping his sword ready in his left. The Flare Dancer advanced once more on him, its limbs blazing as it prepare to twirl again. Link watched closely, waiting for the right moment before taking two steps toward the Flare Dancer and slammed the hammer as hard as he could into the torso. It popped out away from the fiery limbs and rebounded off a nearby wall to lie twitching at his feet. Link smiled crookedly and wasted no time in smashing the coal to bits.

_One down, four to go._

Link turn to find a new target and repeated the process almost instantly against one of Daren's opponents and dispatching the creature in the same manner as the first. It was kinda funny after a while that the simple addition of an old hammer made all the difference in what once had been a losing battle, but Link stopped grinning when when he misjudged his timing against the very last one and it cam after him with a vengeance.

He yelped as it managed to wrap an "arm" around his left, burning right through his shirt and his leather glove to the skin beneath. He dropped the hammer and tried to get away from the thing, but it had a grip on him and wouldn't let go. _Oh, crap, I'm in trouble._ If he didn't get this thing off, he was going to get serious burns on his sword arm.

Help came in the form of both Daren and Ichor coordinating a simultaneous punch that sent the coal torso flying to the other side of the room where Ella waited. She didn't waste anytime in shattering the coal, displaying a disturbingly amount of strength for someone that small armed only with a knife.

Link swallowed slightly when he saw that. _Defiantly need to make sure I don't tick her off_, he thought, but then his arm sent a thousand shrieking complaint about the abuse he just subjected to it. He grunted and pressed his arm against his stomach as he sank down to one knee.

Something touched him on the shoulder and he looked up to see Daren standing next to him. "Let me have a look at that, Link," he said, pointing at his arm.

Link nodded and extended his arm out. He couldn't suppress a wince as Daren removed his glove and rolled up what remained of his sleeve. Both Ichor and Daren whistled and Link did as well when he glanced over to take a look. A bright red burn spiraled down from the middle of his bicep past his elbow, ending halfway down his forearm. The lower end looked a lot better than the upper end, but the whole thing hurt to no end.

"You're a lucky one," Daren said as Ichor rummaged through his bag to find the burn ointment all of them brought with them. "That thing didn't char the skin, but this might leave a scar."

"If it does, it'll join the rest of the collection," Link grumbled, wincing as Ichor spread the ointment over the burn. "Doesn't change the fact that it hurts as all get-out." He accepted the Terminan's hand in helping him back to his feet and looked over at the chest in the corner. The flames around it had vanished and he nodded towards it. "Ok, let's grab the key and get out of here before something else shows up to burn us all into a crisp."

Ella made a motion with her head as though she was rolling her eyes at him, but opened the chest anyway and pulled out a large gold key. Immediately the bars sealing the door lifted and, though none of them never mentioned it out loud, Link could tell by the way they moved towards the exit that all of them were very eager to get out of there before something else came in. Not that he was complaining: he hadn't even seen the Interloper in here and already he had a nasty burn on one arm. And now that he remembered it, Valmar was a fire fanatic. Oh great, he could just see himself covered with burns by the time he got out of this place.

Stowing the hammer he'd picked up before he'd left the room in his pouch, Link looked around the cavern and gave a little start. Illuminated by the lava pit right next to it, a silhouette of a slight figure shifted and seemed to look right at him. It was difficult to tell exactly what it was through the smoke and dim lighting, but it looked like a person or...

Link felt his eyes widen as he automatically put his sword away and pulled out his bow. "Guys, we got company." He didn't take his eyes off the figure as it seemed to glide towards them. It looked just like a regular person, just made of shadow, which could only mean one thing: this had to be their first Marker.

Link nocked an arrow and released it, aiming for the spot right between the eyes, but the thing merely swerved to avoid the missile and began to run full tilt at them. He growled a curse and whipped his sword out in time to slash horizontally at it to make it back off. By this time, the others had their weapons ready and surrounded the Marker, but even with the advantage of numbers and weapons (the Marker had none), the thing still had one advantage Avaraleen had neglected to mention: Markers were uncommonly fast. This one was able to dodge all of the blows directed at it while retaining focus on Daren.

_So Zamur is still after the mages on our side,_ Link thought as he whipped the Master Sword in a complex pattern that would've cut off at least a hand if the thing wasn't so blasted fast. Whoever had sent this one was smart: Daren fought mainly with his fists, which was just an invitation for the Marker to finish its job, but there just had to be a way for them to kill the thing before something else went wrong.

Jumping back from a punch the Marker sent his way, Link grit his teeth as he took a firmer grip on his sword. There was no way they all could keep holding this thing off forever. They had to end it now, but how?

It came on gradually, like a trickle coming from a waterskin right before it burst, but he could feel a raw power surging through his veins as though the lava flows all around him had been redirected into himself. He no longer felt the burn on his arm as his focus narrowed on the darting shadow before him, but deep in the back of his mind there came a sensation of something suddenly raising its head, as though just noticing what he was doing. The sensation lasted only a second, though, as the Marker now seemed to realize it had a real threat to deal with and switched targets, forcing Link to focus on the fight.

Even though the others still kept trying to kill the thing, Link ignored them as he continued to pummel the Marker before him. How he hadn't noticed it before he had no idea, but though the Marker was extremely fast, it followed a particular pattern, one that showed him a weakness. He ducked under a swipe the shadow made at him and lunged at it, plunging the Master Sword deep into its stomach. The Marker stumbled back a few steps and melted down into a black puddle that shrank in on itself until it vanished.

Link held his stance for a moment before slowly lowering his sword. His eyes darted around the room, searching for anymore Markers that might be in the area, but came up with nothing. He jumped when something touched his shoulder and nearly turned on whatever it was when he saw Ella standing next to him holding her knife as though she was ready to block if he took a swing at her.

"Are you alright, Hero?" she asked.

Link nodded. "Yeah, I think so," he panted. A wave of exhaustion hit him like a wall and he staggered slightly as his knees almost gave out on him.

Ichor stretched out a hand to steady him. "It does not look that way," he said. "Are you sure you are well?"

Link shook his head. "I don't know. A fight like this never took this much out of me before, except for that duel against Zamur." He sheathed the Master Sword and went to take a step forward, but this time his knee did give out and he sank to the ground. A pounding began inside his skull and he pressed a hand against his forehead with a groan. "Okay, maybe not."

He heard the others start to gather around him, however something must had happened as Ella gasped and there came the whisper of steel on leather as Ichor drew his sword. Link raised his head to see what was going on, but there came an explosion of pain somewhere inside his skull and he blacked out...

_All of time seemed to have frozen, but then, time had never seemed to move in this place._

_His surroundings were dark with only a few fountains of light to give some depth to the infinite darkness. Faint coals were the only remnants of the once strong columns that had surrounded him. Before him rose a thin dark shade, silhouetted by a bright light behind it. In one hand it held a woman in a white dress by her throat while the other held a familiar sword, a dull blade that once had been gleaming with power._

_The woman kicked a few times, her eyes flashing with anger, trying to get away from her captor. She gave an apologetic look before she went limp, golden light streaming from her into the shade. The shade released its grip, sending her into a motionless pile at its feet as it laughed at him, pointing the dull blade at him. "Some Hero you are to allow others to die for you," it said in a snake's whisper and its form blurred and shifted, losing its litheness for a more menacing shape._

No! Not another! Please don't let her be dead! I can't do this on my own!

_"And soon you shall join them!"_

_He lay on the ground, weaponless, as the shade began to walk slowly toward him. His vision refused to focus on anything, forcing him to see through a haze, but he still watched the figure as it came closer. Sharp pain somewhere on his side prevented him from moving away as it finally stood over him and raised the sword, but he was able to push himself upright. He refused to look away from it, even though that the shade was clear that it was about to stab him through the heart and end the only chance they all had ever had, even with the movement out of the corner of his eye that was trying to get his attention._

_Just as the sword began to descend, a blur of color flashed. Something pushed him back and there was a sharp intake of breath as a sharp object pieced his chest, but only enough to break the skin._

_He looked down at the length of bloody steel before him and the blood now staining the front of his tunic and could only think one thing:_

That's not mine.

_And then he saw the body as someone said with a grunt of effort, "You first." There was a roar of pain followed closely by the cheery tinkling of breaking glass. Strength returned to him in waves, but he could only remain where he was, frozen in horror, as he watch his rescuer fall to the side, still clutching a gleam of silver in one hand. Deep cyan eyes locked onto his..._

ooo0ooo

Rule 1 of hunting: do not hunt prey unless you are certain it is prey, and out of the two hunters in one place, one understood that rule better than the other.

One stood semi-crouched in the shadows off to the side, his eyes probing the far side of the room. Someone was following him, that he knew all too well, but whoever they were was like no one he'd ever dealt with in the past. He was a master of his craft, and yet this new assailant, one that had appeared almost as soon as he set foot in this place, was crafty and had dodged or destroyed every trap he'd set and decimated every creature he'd conjured. Now that they were both in this large room with shadows only on the edges, whoever was following him was going to have to show themselves sooner or later. He had a job to do, so this needed to end now.

Drawing on his power, he quietly murmured a spell while keeping his eyes on the far side. When the last syllable past his lips, six shadowy creatures, each under three feet, materialized into being around him. He sent them after his opponent, three on each side, instructing them through his power to remain within the shadows at all times. These lesser shadows were nothing more than scouts, hardly a challenge for anyone, but they could give him the possible location of whoever was following him.

He didn't have to wait long: there came a faint scuffing of leather on stone on his right and he felt the connection to three of his shadows snap and disappear. Immediately he spoke again and summoned another shadow, this one five feet and armed with a shadowy blade, before sending it towards the sound. He leaned against the wall behind him. Hopefully this last shadow would finish this unwanted intruder.

Within five minutes, there came a clang of steel hitting stone and his armed shadow reported it had destroyed a living thing. He heaved a sigh of relief and allowed his armed shadow and his remaining three scouts to dissipate into the shadows around them. Finally, that unwanted follower was now dead. He took a deep breath and let his head fall to the side...

...only to have a hooded figure stare right back at him from only two feet away.

He yelped and pushed himself away from the wall. His body instinctively folded itself into a roll before he hit the ground. The entire movement put some distance between him and the figure. As he rose to his feet, he started to draw once more on his power, but had to stop when his hands went cold. He'd used his limit of power for the day. To draw on it anymore was to court with death, so he drew the sword he had belted to his waist, determined to settle this via physical combat.

The figure took a few steps forward, coming fully away from the shadows. He could now see his stalker was a woman on account of the way her torn grey robe hugged her body.

She stopped a good five feet away and stroked her chin thoughtfully with one hand as the other cupped her elbow. "You know, you're pretty good compared to the others I've fought before. In fact, I'm considering giving you the benefit of a doubt and possibly being able to walk out of here alive, providing you give me the right answer."

He lowered his sword, slightly, as his heart slowed down a bit. "Who...who are you?"

"No one of consequence to the people who don't need to know." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, but he could tell she could easily shift into an defensive position at a moment's notice. "But you may know me as just your ordinary tri-priestess."

He swallowed hard. Tri-priests were to be avoided at the best of times, and now he had such a priestess before him blocking his path. Could his day get any worse?

He cleared his throat clumsily. "What do you want from me?"

"I want to know where Zamur is, what he's up to, where you Mage Markers are coming from, things like that." Though her face was concealed in the shadow of her hood, he could tell she had him pinned down with her gaze as she put her hands on her hips. "And, yes, I know all about Zamur."

Suddenly his mission here didn't seem that important as getting away from this priestess, but he just couldn't find the will to move. He dry-swallowed several times before he could say, "I...I can't tell you any of that. We all have sworn oaths we cannot break."

"Hmm..." was all she said as she bowed her head. For a moment she was silent, then she raised her head once more. "Then he's gotten wiser if he's now keeping tabs on his servants." She extended a hand off to the side. "You shouldn't have relied on your shadows so much." A gleam of silver shot out of the shadows into her hands. "You told it to destroy something living and it did, however..." she showed him what had shot out of the shadows: a short, slightly curved blade with a vine coiled around the hilt, "what shadow can tell the difference between a person and a vine, especially considering where we are at the moment?"

He felt his jaw drop in surprise, but then whipped his sword back up into position as she shook the vine off the sword and drew an exact copy of it before taking a Gerudo fighting stance.

If he had any regrets, it was he should've devoted as much time to swordplay as he had magic, but even that might not have been enough against this dual-wielding opponent. The duel lasted only five minutes before a slim blade slipped in between his ribs and straight into a lung. He gasped and fell to his knees, his sword dropping to the ground with a clatter from his limp fingers. The blade was removed, allowing him to fall backwards on his back.

The hooded visage of the priestess came into view. "I wish there could have been another way," her voice seemed to echo through a long tunnel before it reached him, "but I cannot have word of me reach unwanted ears, and I know the nature of your oaths that bind you will have you tell your master about me."

He coughed, painfully. He knew he was dying but, is this priestess just going to talk me death?

She knelt beside him and pulled out a knife from a hidden sheath. "I hope you can forgive me," she said before slashing the knife across his throat with a quick jerk.

Avaraleen sighed and looked down at the remains of the mage. He looked to be in his mid-forties, a master of his craft valuable enough to have been kept back from the main fighting during the war. She'd meant what she'd said that he'd pretty good compared to some of the others, but he still fell to the same mistake: trusting the shadows far too much. So even the masters fall to the sword in the vine trick, she thought as she cleaned off her weapons and put them away.

Although the Mage Marker said he couldn't tell her anything verbally, he still had clues to where he came from. She picked up one of his hands and examined it. Faint scratches several days old, rough callouses, and broken nails suggested rough terrain requiring a lot of climbing. His clothes were rough and very sturdy, also supporting the rough terrain theory, but were also thick, adding a cold climate to the picture. Moving to his boots, she found rock dust and a tiny grey rock wedged into a heel. Mountain country, but not near Death Mountain or the plateaus near the desert, so possibly the north, but whether straight, east, or west she didn't know yet and his pockets were devoid of any more clues.

She sighed and rose to her feet. Drawing on the abundant Forest magic around her, she focused on the body before her. A twist in her thoughts changed the Forest to Fire and a outstretched hand palm down set the body ablaze until it was nothing more than cinders. Reverting the magic back to its original state, she convinced the earth to absorb the remnants, leaving no trace of the former mage.

Rotating her neck, and releasing a series of pops, she brush dirt off her robes and moved off to the exit. However, she only had taken a few step when something hit her hard.

Instinctively she drew her blades again and looked around for the source, but while instinct screamed there was something, she just couldn't find it or see it. It wasn't until she reached for her power when she realized the blow had come from within her power, and therefore from someone she had a connection with, which could only be one person.

Avaraleen dove into her power and found the thin bronze strand that represented the connection she'd set up between him barely a month ago. The way the thing worked among the Gerudo was that, as a mage, she would be alerted if any of the people under her charge was in any considerate danger. Originally she was going to break it when she got fully healed after the Dasiter brand was removed, but she'd forgotten all about it, and now it was getting her attention that Link was now in over his head, again.

Unfortunately, she had no idea what kind of trouble he was in. The distance between them was too large for her to sense any more than he was extremely stressed and...channeling Fire magic? That couldn't be right. One of the first things she did when she found him in the Lost Woods was check if he was capable of using magic, and the result was negative. So why in Nayru's name was she sensing him drawing on a powerful and sometimes unpredictable natural magic?

How long she stood there, staring in the general direction of Death Mountain, she had no idea, but eventually whatever was going on over there subsided, which hopefully meant Link had killed the cause. Almost immediately afterwards, the connection went limp; Link had gone unconscious. She didn't blame him: the amount of power he'd been channeling would had left her weak in the knees, but the whole situation worried her. This was not something she was prepared to handle and she gazed at the door on the opposite side with an urge to run immediately to Link's side.

Releasing a harsh breath through clenched teeth, Avaraleen turned her back on the way to the outside and delved in deeper into the Forest Temple. She was too close to turn back now. Tamera needed to be warned of the Markers, seeing how one Marker Mage had gotten a little too close for comfort, and there was the small fact Avaraleen had quite a few questions for the Kokiri. If Destiny really had a hand in all of this, it was moving far too quickly for her liking, so she needed to know more about what was going on before something went horribly wrong.

Ten minutes and one picked lock later, Avaraleen found herself in a round room with a raised dais in the center. In the center of the dais stood a pillar of emerald light, exactly like Link had said. She approached it cautiously, as she was a firm believer of one should not mess lightly around divine magic, but the pillar seemed to remain inert as she came closer. Stopping just three feet away, she frowned. The pillar was transparent and she could see the other side of the room, but there was no sign of Tamera.

Link said she had to remain here, she thought as she looked around the room once more, but I don't see her. Unless... She looked up to where the top of the pillar seemed to stretch to eternity. "Tamera!" she called, pulling down the scarf over her face. "Tamera, I need to talk to you!"

The pillar flashed once, and in the center sitting cross legged was Tamera. "Hello, Avaraleen," she said with a smile.

Avaraleen breathed a sigh of relief. "You alright, Tamera?"

"I'm fine, and you really didn't have to warn me about the Markers." The Kokiri leaned back a little as she beamed up at Avaraleen. "This light keeps them away."

Avaraleen raised an eyebrow. "You already knew about the Markers?"

Tamera chuckled. "Let's just say I've been around people who know everything lately."

"So what you told Link-"

"Really came from them."

Avaraleen released a sigh. "Okay, glad to know I have their permission."

Tamera giggled. "Yeah, well here's something else they want you to know that you won't be happy about: they also want you to be extremely careful and to not get caught by Zamur."

Avaraleen's eyebrows shot up. "Why are they adding their voice to that argument?"

"I'm not real sure." Tamera crossed her arms. "According to them, as the only one who has been able to combine all six natural magicks together, they say you can be used as a...a prison, I think?"

"A what?"

"They say someone can use your power as their own." Tamera shrugged. "I couldn't understand exactly what they were talking about."

Avaraleen felt her breath catch in her throat. "A prism," she breathed. She knew exactly what Tamera was talking about, and she swore silently at herself for not thinking about it before. It only had been attempted once, and thankfully it hadn't been completed. Prisms were essentially the stolen soul of a mage being used by another mage for their powers. Now that it was brought up, it explained why Zamur did everything he could to keep her alive and at his side. "So that's what he was doing in that tower," she whispered. "If he couldn't have me one way, he was going to another. And now he knows how to do it."

For a moment, she stood there, frozen in fear, but then she shook her head and set her teeth. Blind fear hadn't gotten her anywhere in the past and it wasn't going to help here now. Besides, Zamur thought she was dead and that allowed her to move with more of the freedom she was used to, however...

She started pacing. His recent moves with the Markers made no sense. Going after the mages of the council before they reached the center of their respective Temples she understood, but if all of them were going to have the same protection Tamera had, then the entire motive was pathetic. There had to be another motive behind all of this, unless...

Her eyes widened and she stopped pacing as one hand plunged into her pouch and pulled out the green medallion that had come from this place. Clutching it tightly, she focused on seeing only Forest magic off in the eastern borders. The threads there were thin and almost nonexistent in some places, but eventually she found one spot of concentrated Forest. And by the way the magic was gathered in that spot, she knew the source was human.

A satisfied smirk grew across her lips as she flipped the medallion up in the air and caught it again. "So this is what you meant by slightly, Tempestade," she said. Faking her death just kept getting better and better. Sure, it meant targets had changed, but this was definitely something she could do something about.

"Avaraleen?" Tamera asked.

The tri-priestess looked down at the little Kokiri. "The thin line we're treading to make this whole thing work just got a little wider."

"So we actually have a chance that this can work?" Tamera said, nearly hopping on the spot with excitement.

Avaraleen nodded. "The odds are still ones a cautious person would avoid, but," she cocked a hip, "these are the ones I do the best with."

"If you say so." Tamera shrugged, then tilted her head. "You've changed a bit since the last time I saw you."

Avaraleen turned back to the Kokiri. "How so?"

"You seem more sure of yourself nowadays." Tamera crossed her arms. "And there's something else, but I just can't put my finger on it."

Giving a shrug of her own, Avaraleen rubbed the back of her neck. "You sure you're alright here?"

"I'll be fine." Tamera stood up and dusted off her skirt. "Anything you want me to tell them before you leave?"

"No." Avaraleen shook her head. "I think I've mentioned what I need to go right several times to them by now." She stretched and heard several small pops from her spine. "You want me to pass on anything?"

Yeah, tell Link I blame him for being stuck here." Tamera pouted and crossed her arms. "It's so boring."

Avaraleen laughed. "Alright, I'll tell him. See you later."

"See ya!" Tamera waved as the pillar around her pulsed once and she vanished.

Avaraleen looked at the empty pillar for a moment, thinking. For one of the few times in her life, she felt completely sure about what she was about to do. Her Sheikah side noted all the advantages while her Gerudo self was all for discreetly messing up Zamur's plans. To keep a promise or ensure this stayed on course. As if there was really any debate about that.

Whistling a tune she'd made up a long time ago, she made her was out of the Forest Temple and into the maze that was the Lost Woods. Right before the Door leading to Goron City a Skull Kid dropped out of the trees before her and giggled. "Care for a riddle, Sorceress?"

"I no longer am that person," she said as she walked past him. An idea struck her and she turned around. "But I do have a riddle for you."

"Oh, really?" The Skull Kid sat on the ground. "Do tell."

"When the board is set, the pieces moving, and the odds are stacked against you, how do you win the game?"

The imp giggled. "You cheat, of course."

"No." Avaraleen gave him her hunter's smile. "You never reveal you've already won." She walked through the Door, leaving the confused Skull Kid behind. As the music of the Lost Woods faded, she pulled her scarf back in place and heaved a sigh. Pawns would fall on both sides along with several of the major pieces, but as long as the one knight stayed alive...

_Check, Zamur. Your move._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Don't you all just love ambiguous plot points? I do, hence why I write them.

Sorry about being gone for so long, but I have two words: Organic Chemistry, and that should explain all of it. However, I obviously found time to work on this, so I hope you like it. It took me some time to figure out which class I could write in, and even then I restarted about five times. Have I ever mention that I hate writer's block? Ah, well, I'll live...somewhat.

Anyways, I am very thankful for all of you who have stuck around so far, and by the way, I forgot to mention this, I changed "Double Duel" which I think is chapter 8, so go check it out and tell me what you think. I'm also thinking of revising the prologue as it isn't as good as I like it now, so I'd like to hear from all of you about that as well.

Well, I'm just going to keep this short, so until next time- ****hears giggle, sees OoT Great Fairy float in from behind**** Hey! Who brought her here? **returns to audience** Looks like I need to fix that fourth wall again, so until next time, dragoness of storm, out! See ya! ****chases out Great Fairy holding roll of duct tape****


	18. And Into the Fire

Thanks to: The Queen of Water, Dire Heart, Riku Uzumaki, RavenShichiyou, Kunai94, ThatZDFan, and everyone else who has seen this and yet hasn't left a review or something on the lines of that and is it me, or is this list getting shorter? :(

On with the story.

* * *

><p>"Remind me again why I'm doing this." Link rubbed the back of his head as he took a swig from his water bottle. He'd woken up to find himself still at the entrance to the room the key had been in, but with both Daren and Ichor missing and an impatient Ella eager to get moving. Apparently after Link had collapsed, a man hidden in a black cloak appeared, knocked out Ella when she tried to protected Ichor, and then vanished with both Ichor and Daren. The only reason Ella hadn't gone after them was due to Avaraleen's warning, but now that he was awake, she was eager to go after them.<p>

"I don't know why you agreed, but now is not the time to ponder that!" Ella snapped as she paced before him. "We need to focus on getting them out of there right now."

"Alright, alright, I hear you." Link pushed himself to his feet and rotated his neck, hearing a series pops as he did so. "Do you remember how to get back to the main room?"

Ella pointed to a door twenty feet away. "There's a shortcut that way that leads directly there." When Link gave her a look, she shrugged. "I followed him as far as I could."

Nodding, Link shrugged his shoulders several times to resettle the baldric holding the Master Sword. "Let's go."

Together, the two of them navigated the fiery maze to the door Ella had indicated. This one wasn't obviously used very often as Link had to put in much more effort to get it open than the others, but it led right back to the beginning as Ella had said. Leaping across the platforms to the locked door, Link drew the Master Sword and held it at the ready while Ella jammed the gold key they'd retrieved earlier into the keyhole. However, the key refused to turn.

Ella put her full weight on it, trying to force it to turn, but it refused to move. "Out of all times for a key to be sensitive!" she hissed as she began to wiggle the key back and forth within the lock, trying to find the right angle for the thing to turn.

"Can't you just pick it?" Link asked, practically jumping up and down in his impatience.

Ella shook her head. "In a place saturated with magic such as this, it is better to use the proper key." She growled under her breath as she continued to work the key. "I've lost too many good lockpicks to magicked locks-aha!" The key finally turned and the lock fell off.

Link shoved the door open and had to step back from the immense heat that billowed out. He could feel sweat beginning to run down the middle of his back and briefly wondered how long he would've survived if he hadn't been wearing the protective Dodongo skin jerkin before pushing the thought down with an exasperated growl. Now was not the time to be wondering about that. Daren and Ichor were in there somewhere with what was most likely a fiery Interloper, and Din burn him if he let that idiot harm either of them. It was hard not to like one of the fun-loving Gorons (unless, but some rare and equally devastating misfortune one got on their bad side) and while he didn't consider Ichor a close friend, he did trust the big man to watch his back in these places and it would go against the grain for him if Link didn't reciprocate the action.

The interior of the cavern was difficult to make out: the open pits of lava ringing the place caused waves of heat to distort the air to the point where it looked as though Link was peering through a thin waterfall, but he could make out three distinct figures through the haze. Two, one much larger than the other, were kneeling before the third, whose tall and thin silhouette was almost lost in the haze. Link could only guess that one had to be Valmar.

Stopping just inside the door, Link leaned down and whispered in Ella's ear, "I'll distract Valmar if you'll get the others out."

"Just don't get yourself killed," she hissed back. "I do not want the priestess coming after me it you die on my watch."

"If you tell her this was my idea, she'll join you in hunting me in the afterlife." Link hefted the Master Sword. "Alright, let's go met our fellow explorer." He walked in first, sensing rather than seeing Ella slip into the shifting shadows behind him.

This place was defiantly the heart of Death Mountain. Link examined the place through his peripheral vision as he came closer to the trio in the center. The entire room was nothing more than a wide plateau surrounded by lava and there were holes within the plateau itself where the lava pooled, making the footing here even more treacherous as the rough stone was heavily pitted and cracked. Whatever fight was going to happen here was going to be very interesting.

Link took no pains to keep his approach secretive, as his entire "rescue plan" involved him being the center of attention, but it seemed the captor was a little too intent on his captives to pay any attention to what was going on behind him. "Now don't you play coy with me, big guy," the tall man said, standing over Ichor. The Terminain had chains wrapped around his wrists and ankles and was bleeding from the corner of his mouth, but he looked up into the cowled face of his captor with an exasperated look as Daren, who was chained in a similar matter, sighed and shook his head, obviously annoyed at this whole situation.

"I told you, you have the wrong person," he growled. "I am not even Hylian. I am Ichor du Ikana, sixth son of Igreis du Ikana, the Champion of Termina, not the Hero of Hyrule."

"You two are the only ones within this Temple, other than myself." The man spread his arms out with a flourish, causing the wide sleeves of his black robe to flare out dramatically. "Do you honestly think you can fool me by saying there are others within this Temple? Ha! There is no one! Only me, the Goron mage, and you, the only other person who can be no one else but the Hero."

Link had to bit his lip to keep from laughing. This had gone on far enough. "I know I'm kinda short, but I know I'm not _that_ small," he said.

The black-robed man whirled around, the force of his turn causing the edges of his robe to flap and his hood to fly off, revealing a pale, pinched face framed by long red hair. "And who are you, boy?" he snapped.

"You're Valmar, right?" Link gave him a cocky smile when the Interloper gave a start. "Yeah, I know who you are. Special privilege of being a Hero: I get to learn all kinds of sensitive information." He could see Ella slipping through the shifting shadows to reach Ichor. She gave Ichor a shushing motion as she began to pick the lock on the chains while silently telling Link to keep talking.

"I am to believe you are the Hero?" Valmar laughed. "You, an unassuming boy, the Hero? What an amusing joke!"

"I have to admit, it is pretty funny when you think about it." Link shook his head. "I can hardly believe it myself sometimes."

"Indeed." Valmar stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I'm sorry, but I am at a disadvantage here: you know my name, but I'm afraid I do not know yours."

"What? You guys don't have that!?" Link pretended to looked shocked. He knew this guy already knew his name, but he had to keep up the act just a little longer. Ella was good with her lockpicks: Ichor was on his feet with his sword ready as the Garo worked on Daren's chains. "I'm hurt, I'm really hurt. I go through all this trouble of defeating several of your biggest mages, and none of you know my name. You really need to have a talk with your spies, because the name's Link."

"Ah, Link, it is a pleasure." Valmar gave a highly exaggerated bow. "I believe my master has been trying to find a way to have a few words with you. He is very interested in how you were chosen as the Hero, if you indeed are what you say."

Link smirked. "If you doubt what I say, then take a look at this." He held up the Master Sword. "You know what this is, don't you?"

"Yes, indeed I do." Valmar's eyes narrowed. "But how a boy like you is ever able to wield it, I will never know."

Link rolled his eyes. "Believe me, neither do I." Daren stood up as Ella gave him a nod before the three of them sprinted to the exit. Valmar noticed them and let out a surprised shout as he leapt to stop them. Link dive-rolled forward to get in front of him, sword raised. "Care to see what the fuss with this thing's all about?"

"I don't see why not," Valmar growled. "You may have been able to beat the Interlopers in the past, but you will find we are much stronger than before."

"If the Cubus Sisters were really a part of you guys, then why didn't they make it back to wherever your base is?" Link asked. When Valmar gave him a glare, he grinned savagely. "Yeah, that was me. Guess you're all not as good as you thought."

In hindsight, he kicked himself for forgetting Avaraleen's warning that Valmar was a talented fire-mage as the Interloper roared and sent a large wave of fire at Link. He ducked behind his shield, praying Avaraleen hadn't skimped on the heat protection, but thankfully the fire only caused a thin layer of sweat to build up on his back as it passed harmlessly over him. He risked a glance behind him and saw Ella, Ichor, and Daren duck out the door and nodded before returning his attention to the hovering fire-mage before him. _What was with Interlopers and hovering?_ he asked himself as he tracked the moving target through the air.

Valmar flew over to the back of the room directly over the lava pit that encircled the entire room. "You think that we are weak, boy?" he said. Lava flowed up and engulfed him, creating a large serpentine figure with two thin arms as it cooled. "See how weak we really are!"

Oh crap. Link swallowed nervously. Avaraleen had failed to mention this trick. Valmar was now completely encased in stone that he was going to have break through, somehow. The Master Sword, though an item imbued with divine powers, was not the ideal weapon for this battle. He was going to need something to smash through that armor to get at the Interloper inside, but what? He plunged one had into his pouch, searching for anything that might help. Bombs? A possibility, but not one he really wanted to use around lava for fear of splash backs and breaking more holes in the floor than there already was. Arrows? No good there. The most those might do is tick Valmar more than he already was now. So what was he going to use?

His hand closed on the handle of something and he pulled it out to see the hammer he'd picked up earlier. He raised an eyebrow. If it had worked against the Flare Dancers, it might just work against…whatever he was up against now. The rational part of his mind screamed at him that this was never going to work, the not-so side simply shrugged and said making unconventional solutions work was all apart of being the Hero. He decided to listen to the not-so side.

Throwing his shield on his back, Link kept the Master Sword in his left hand as he held the hammer in his right. So far his strategy was to smash whatever part of Valmar that came in reach with the hammer and stab any part of the mage inside he could see with the sword. It was a simple plan, which was just the way he like them. Simple plans didn't fall apart as easily as complex ones. With everything on his end all figure out, now all he had to do was figure out how Valmar was going to attempt to kill him.

The answer to that came soon enough: Valmar was going to stick to the tradition of flying around the room, albeit he looked more like a snake slithering through the air more than anything else, and attempted to flatten Link by knocking off the stalactites off the ceiling. Dodging those was as easy as just knowing where Valmar was flying and diving to the other side of the room. He either ran out of stalactites to knock down or he realized this tactic was just not going to work as he soon dove into one of the lava holes in the floor.

Link gave a grim smile: now things were on an even level. That was, they would be if he could figure out where Valmar was going to appear next. He had a feeling the floor was nothing more than a platform floating on the lava, and therefore the Interloper could pop up from anywhere, but if anything, it was going to be from one of the other holes. He watched them all closely, searching for the smallest hint of a disturbance that might mean something was moving underneath.

Bubbles erupted from a hole to his left and Link turned to face it just as Valmar surged through it. Here Link saw the downside to having a lot of armor: the harden lava around his face had created what looked like a long snout, hampering his vision immensely and causing him to have to turn his head to the side to see anything directly in front of him. He obviously had practice at this as he was very quick about it, but the few seconds it took him to do so gave Link a small advantage, and it was one he was going to take the most advantage of. He stood directly in front of Valmar and when the Interloper turned his head to find him, he slammed the hammer as hard as he could on the lava directly under Valmar's eye.

To be honest, Link had been expecting to hammer the lava several times before he could've even but a hairline crack in it, so when seven-inch chunk _fell_ off, he was so shocked he missed the chance to stab Valmar. The Interloper withdrew back into the lava with a roar. Link back-flipped out of the way of the molten lava that splashed up and let out an exasperated breath between his teeth as he once more noticed the surge of raw power moving through him. These were not the fights that he could afford to be distracted in and the way things were going in this "quest," it would most likely be better if just learned to accept the unusual things that happened and ask about them later. _Much later,_ he thought as he watched the holes again. _Although at this rate, I will be joining the weekly poker game with the guys._

Once more bubbles erupted, but this time they moved from hole to hole, forcing him to keep moving to stay close. Finally Valmar reappeared, but this time he didn't bother to look around and release a jet of fire out of his mouth. Link ducked under the fire and hammered the head again. This time when the lava patch fell, Link thrust the Master Sword into the chink and felt Valmar squirm, confirming he had made contact with some part of the Interloper inside. Unfortunately, it was not a killing blow as Valmar made two swipes at him with his arms before delving back into the lava, but was at least a start.

A bull-like roar echoed throughout the cavern, but it hadn't come from either Link or Valmar. Link froze in mid-step and Valmar popped out of a hole ten feet away, head cocked to one side as they both listened for the source of the sound. The roar didn't come again, but there came faint clashes and a few more shouts, all of which seemed to be coming from the antechamber outside the cavern. It sounded as though several people were fighting each other out there. Link and Valmar actually gave each other confused looks. Valmar gave a shrug of his armored shoulders and Link jerked his head in a "Heck if I know" gesture before they resumed attempting to kill each other.

Link ran towards Valmar, but the slippery Interloper ducked back into the lava before he got close enough. "Oh, for crying out loud!" he yelled. "Do you have to keep doing that? I just want to kill you so I can call it a day!"

Nothing. Valmar was still in the lava, and there were no bubbles within any of the holes to reveal his presence.

"So you're just going to stay down there? Coward." He deliberately sat with his back only two feet away from one hole. Was this a stupid addition to his plan? Most likely yes, but hey, there were only the two of them in here, so who was going to know? "Yeesh, and I thought you Interlopers were supposed to made of sterner stuff than that, especially now that there are fewer of you than before." He let out an overly dramatic sigh as he felt immense heat building behind him. "What has this world come too when eighteen-year-olds are tasked with saving the world, but he can't do it when the grown and powerful fire-mage he's up against is in hiding. How in the name of the Goddesses am I supposed to do my job if you're going to be like that?" A devilish grin on his face, he leaned back and looked directly into Valmar's snout-like face. "Hi there. Glad you could join me up here," he said, then moved. Before Valmar could react, Link rolled to his feet, slammed the hammer into the Interloper's chest, and plunged the Master Sword deep into the hole in the armor.

Valmar let out an earsplitting shriek and leapt out of the lava. He circled the cavern, still shrieking, as more of his lava armor flaked off. When the last piece shattered on the ground below, he slowly floated to the ground. It was either a trick of the light or something else, but looked as though Link could see right through Valmar, just like the Cubus Sisters in the Forest Temple. With a start, he realized that was exactly the case: Valmar was a now ghost.

"Okay, why are you still lingering around?" Link asked as he stowed the hammer back into his pouch and slid the Master Sword back into its sheathe.

"I'll take it the Cubus Sisters did so as well?" Valmar made a "hmph" of acknowledgement as Link nodded. "I'm not surprised: from what I've heard, those who get these assignments are the ones who are capable of getting the job done, but I know the Sisters were not happy with the way things were going, and neither was I, so I wouldn't be surprised if the others you go against do the same."

"And how are things going?" Link asked.

Valmar huffed. "Not good. Zamur's…Zamur's changed, and not for the better. He's even more fixated on finishing what he started, even with Avaraleen dead, and he's not the person I originally joined."

"Uh-huh." Link did his best to hide his confusion. "How did he take that bit of news, by the way?"

"How'd you expect?" Valmar laughed. "He was furious beyond belief. No one dared to come near him for three days, but he seemed to have expected that as when he calmed down, he reinforced the orders that the mages we're supposed to be bringing to him have to be alive and intact. Anyone who disobeys…well, use your imagination. What I don't get is why he wants your sword."

Link nodded several times, remembering the conversation with the Cubus Sisters. "Yeah, I don't get that part either."

"I think I have an idea, but I believe most of it would probably go right over your head." Valmar gave a rueful grin when Link rolled his eyes. "I was under orders to kill you and take the Goron mage along with the sword if possible, but that is very difficult when the person you're trying to kill is trying his hardest to kill you."

"Oh, I would be sorry about that, but I do have other plans," Link replied, "and being dead would really ruin my week for sure. So why do you think he wants my sword?"

"It's all apart of some ritual he's planning, and the sword's the catalyst for it." Valmar sighed as he began to fade away. "Ask your mage friends if you don't understand, but know this: Zamur will stop at nothing to reach his goals. You obviously know about the Markers seeing how you got this far, but I'd get whatever allies you've got to help keep an eye out on your mages, and the Princess as well. She's a key factor in all of this." He gave a half-hearted shrug. "I don't know if you'll accept this from an Interloper, but good luck on the rest of your journey." With that, he faded away.

Link frowned as stared at the spot where Valmar had once been. "Thanks," he said after a few moments before groaning slightly as muscles all over decided now was a good time to inform him of the abuse he had just put them through. His right shoulder in particular was sore from hammering the harden lava, but thankfully the Interloper was dead, so all that was left to do was grab get the pure magic and get out of here. But where was Daren?

His eyes widened and he snarled a curse to himself as he raced towards the door. The battle sounds that had come earlier must have come from the others, which meant not everything out to kill them in this place was dead yet. Reaching the door, he forced it open just in time to have a humanoid shadow try to grab him. Link ducked and drew the Master Sword with one motion before rising to cleave the shadow in half in the next. He had to duck yet again a split second later to dodge a knife thrown his direction. "Whoa! Friendly in the area!" he shouted as the knife bounced off the wall and came close to embedding itself into his shoulder as it came down.

"Link? That you?" A huge hand grabbed him by the shoulder and hauled him upright for a moment before pulling him into a rib cracking hug. "That fiery Interloper didn't get you after all!"

"Put…me…down," Link coughed out. "Can't…breathe."

"Oh, sorry there." Daren looked rather sheepish for a Goron as he set Link gently (by Goron standards) back on his feet. The eighteen-year-old did an automatic check to see if any of his ribs were broken and coughed several times to get air back into his lungs.

"Everyone still alive?" he rasped as he put his hands on his knees to get his breathing regular again.

"Alive, yes, and ready to get out of here." Ella came into view as she picked up her knife. "Sorry about that, but…instinct."

"You're fine." Link straightened and looked at Ichor. The giant looked as though he had lost a fight with a meat grinder. "You alright? What was going on out here?"

"There were several Lizafos along with a few Markers out here," Ichor replied calmly. "All of them are now dead, and all of us here are fine."

"Good." Link gestured back towards the cavern. "Let's grab this thing so we can get out of here."

"Agreed." Daren helped open the door widener so they all could enter and lead the way to the center of the lava-ridden floor. "Now what we need is somewhere around here," he muttered to himself as he knelt down on one knee to examine the floor, just like Tamera had done before. The Goron brushed aside the accumulated soot of years past and revealed cracks that looked too ornate to be natural.

Link saw this and took a step back, motioning for Ichor and Ella to do the same. They did so with confused looks and jumped in surprise as a pillar of red light shot up around the Goron. The two Terminains drew their weapons, but relaxed slightly as Link held up a hand to stop them before approaching the pillar.

The Goron inside had his head cocked to the side, listening to voices unheard from the rest. He nodded, and the light intensified once before vanishing, just like at the Forest Temple. Daren grunted once and handed Link a medallion, red with a three-pronged flame. "You know what to do with this, right?" Daren asked.

Link nodded. "Yep. They have anything else to pass on?" he asked, jerking his chin up towards the ceiling.

"Only that you must steel yourself for what is yet to come." Daren sighed at Link's questioning gaze. "They did not say what, only that the trials you must overcome have already begun and will only become harder as you progress."

"Of course they are. These things are never easy," Link sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll take it you have to stay here as well?"

Daren nodded. "Yes, but don't worry about me. You three get out of here. No doubt the priestess is waiting on you back at Kakariko."

Link rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you just had to remind me about that." He gave the Goron a two-finger salute. "Well, see you later."

The Goron laughed as Link turned back to the others and gestured towards the door. "Let's get out of here."

"About time someone said that," Ella muttered under her breath as she and Ichor followed Link out the door and eventually to the blessedly smoke-filled crater that held the back up to the top of the mountain. Just as he set foot on the sloping path, a flicker of motion caught the corner of Link's eye and he turned, hand on sword hilt, to see what it was. Instinct nagged at him that _something_ was out there, but the only movement he could see was the ever-billowing smoke and shifting red light from the lava. He watched the area for several moments, waiting for it to happen again, but when it didn't, he shrugged and followed the others up out of the crater.

It was late afternoon, the sun bathing the top of the mountain with warmth that normally would have been comfortable, but even with the heat repelling Dodongo skin, their two-day trek through the lower part of a volcano made even the mild spring weather seem unnaturally hot. Link didn't know about the others, but he was ready to jump into the river at the first opportunity. However, they first needed to make it down the mountain. Link took point and led the way down the steep path, but when they reached the point where the path merged with the main trail connecting Goron City and Kakariko, Ella slipped ahead of him and raised a hand as she went down to one knee.

"Something's happened here," she said, eyeing the ground. "There appears to have been some sort of struggle in this area not too long ago. Someone was hiding over there," she waved a hand at a tumble of rocks just on the edge of the trail, "and whoever he attempted to ambush came from Goron City, but whoever that was is not a Goron."

"How can you tell?" Ichor asked, frowning at the area she was examining. To the two warriors, the "disturbed ground" looked no different than the rest of the trail.

"The victim here has very faint prints, almost impossible to make out, which is a feat no Goron has yet to even come close to accomplishing." Ella gestured at the disturbed ground. "I would even venture a guess and say the victim was a woman, as the attacker's prints are more defined than hers."

This got Link's attention. There was only one woman who'd be in this area. "Can you tell how it ended?"

"The attacker lost." Ella straightened up and dusted off her robes. "I think we all know who the intended victim was supposed to be in this encounter. Whoever was waiting for her stood no chance against her."

"And knowing her, she's waiting for us in the village," Link said, jerking his head towards the trail. "We better get going."

They hiked down with a brisk pace, Link leading the way. A few of the local Tektites jumped out at them as they passed, only to fall back down to the ground in pieces as they were cut down in midair. In a little under two hours, the gates at the bottom of the trail were visible and Link saw Ichor and Ella relax slightly out of the corner of one eye. He, on the other hand, stiffened as a black blur caught his other eye. He turned and drew the Master Sword in time to block an ebon blade aimed at his neck. Grunting with the effort of the block, Link shoved back the attacking Marker and went to cleave it in half, but it jumped back away from his strike…

…and right into the path of an arrow that punched entirely through its neck like cloth. Link blinked once and turned to seeing an almost familiar sight: Avaraleen approaching them with bow in hand. Even with her hood up and her scarf concealing her face, there was still that business-like, deadly air that never seemed to leave her person. That, and she was the only priestess he knew who'd be around this area.

"I see you gone up against one of those recently," she said as she came in earshot.

"That was only my second one," Link said. He nodded at the others. "They had a few more as I was…preoccupied."

She nodded. "I'll ask for the details later, but be glad your reflexes are that sharp: that particular Marker was one of _his_." The venomous tone she used left no doubt as to who she was talking about. Glancing back at the gates, she nodded towards them. "Let's get inside the village and we'll talk."

Half an hour later, the four of them were in what appeared to be an ancient storeroom Avaraleen had heavily spelled against eavesdroppers, with Link, Ichor, and Ella wolfing down the meat and bread she had set out for them, but not before she had all three of them drink a bottle of Red Potion apiece. She didn't eat anything herself, saying she'd reached the village about an hour before she'd sensed the Marker on the trail and had gone up to investigate. "I knew it was one of his as he's the only mage strong enough to control them from a great distance away, and the only other mage capable of summoning those things around here tried to ambush me as I was on my way down." She leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Idiot thought I'd be an easy target. I swear every mage I know spend more time conjuring than they do swordplay."

"Are you not a mage?" Ichor asked around a mouthful of bread.

"Technically, I'm a sorceress, but yes, I can use magic, just not as often as the mages you're thinking of." She rolled her eyes. "A lot of mages use their magic for every little thing from lighting candles to organizing their libraries and materials, which I think is a waste of power. I mainly use mine to sharpen my senses and rarely do things I physically can't. Every now and then, I'll be fighting against another mage, but while they depend on magic to solve all their problems, for me, magic is the last arrow in my quiver I'll use, and only if my back's against the wall." She raised an eyebrow at them. "However, if I have to use it, I'm just as deadly with it as with any of the weapons I carry."

Ichor nodded thoughtfully and looked as though he was about to ask another question, but, as his mouth was stuffed with food, he gave Ella a glance. She nodded and asked, "Did the mage who ambushed you get away?"

Avaraleen shook her head. "He's dead, and no one will be able to find the body."

Link frowned as he digested this. Swallowing a mouthful of meat, he took a swig from his canteen and asked, "What did you mean by the only mage capable of summoning a Marker around here? I thought you said Zamur had quite a few of them."

"Oh, yeah." Though she still had both hood and scarf covering her face, her tone suggested she had a sheepish look on her face. "I forgot to tell you that most of the mages who can summon those things have to be within a certain range in order to control them."

Link raised an eyebrow. "How close of a range?"

"It varies from mage to mage, but the average is around two hundred feet. It all depends on the amount of power the mage has." She began cracking her knucklers one by one. "I think there's a rule of thumb among them that as long as their within sight of their creation, they'll be fine."

"What happens if a Marker goes outside the mage's range?" Ichor asked.

Avaraleen shrugged. "They stop. Zamur is the only one I know who has the power to send a Marker from one end of Hyrule to the other."

A thought struck Link and he frowned in concentration. "Is there a way for us to tell the difference between Zamur's and someone else's?"

"His are faster, aggressive, and they rarely come at an angle they can be seen coming." She ticked off the traits as she named them. "Everyone else's are all the same."

"But they are all a nuisance," Ella chimed in, a statement everyone agreed with immensely.

For several moments there was silence as everyone continued eating (or in Avaraleen's case, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed), then Ichor cleared his throat. "How are things within the Forest Temple?"

"Fine. Tamera's protected against the Markers better than anything I've come across, so I think it's safe to say once we get our mages there, they'll be out of Zamur's reach until the time's right." Avaraleen shifted uncomfortably. "However, we're only a third of the way done. Zamur's never had a talent for Spirit and he'll have to trick someone to get Light for him, but there is going to be a battle for Water and Shadow."

"I'd figured Shadow would be a tough one as that's his first type," Link said, "but why Water as well?"

"Because surprisingly Water and Shadow are very easy to work together, and it happened to be the second type of natural magic Zamur mastered." Avaraleen sighed. "Not to mention the only other mage he managed to recruit who's mastered Water is a down-right snake."

Link swallowed hard. "Wait a minute, did you get a message from Azure?"

"No, but believe me, Phorma is a real snake." Avaraleen began tapping her fingers against her. "But seeing how the death rate is going with those going to the temples, I don't understand why he'd risk sending her, if he sends her at all."

Link tapped his chin thoughtfully, remembering Valmar's last words. "Do you know how her relationship with Zamur is?" Catching her raised eyebrow, he added, "Valmar told me the ones being sent to the temples are those who do not liking the way things are going now."

This time both eyebrows shot up. "Oh really? Well, that definitely seals it: she's going to be there. For as long as I've known her, she's been testing her strength against Zamur, making her one of the few people that will make him pause, and to be honest, I think she's better than me when it comes to Water."

"What?!" Link, Ichor, and Ella stared at her, astonished.

One shoulder moved up and down. "She was forever bragging about her skill with Water, so I suggest a duel, Water against Water, just to see if I could shut her up." A wistful tone entered her voice. "We never did get a chance to finish that, now that I think of it."

Link exchanged a look with Ichor before asking, "What happened?"

"The Sheikah." Her light-hearted tone belayed the glare she directed at the wall, effectively quelling any questions they might've asked.

For a moment an awkward silence, then Link looked up and asked, "What is a catalyst?"

Avaraleen raised an eyebrow. "Where did you hear that?"

"Valmar mentioned it." Link leaned back a bit. "He said that Zamur wanted the Master Sword to use as a catalyst for some ritual he's planning."

"That makes absolutely no sense." Avaraleen began to pace as she muttered under her breath. "No matter what he's plans to do, it's not going to work. That sword's nature is opposite him. It'll never work."

"I'm confused," Link muttered to Ichor and Ella, who both agreed.

"It's a mage thing," Avaraleen said, waving a hand around as she continued to pace. "A catalyst is an object used alongside a spell to help speed up casting. It sometimes can act as a focus as well, but the object has to have some kind of magic permeated in it in order for it to work. However, certain types of magic never work together, and the most well-known pair is divine and demonic, which is exactly what he would be trying to do if he attempted to use the Master Sword as a catalyst."

Link groaned softly and leaned back. He felt like he was in the Lost Woods and she was offering him a map written in Ancient Hylian.

"Point is, I know what he's talking about, even though it makes no sense why," Avaraleen finished, halting her pacing to lean against the wall once more.

"As long as you know," Ella stated, the others agreeing heartily. Silence fell once more as Link and Ella finished their second helping while Ichor polished off the rest.

Rubbing his right shoulder, Link glared at Avaraleen as he recalled his fight with the fiery Interloper. "Thanks, by the way, for telling me about Valmar's little trick of using hardened lava as armor," he said reproachfully as he pulled out the red medallion and tossed it to her.

"He was only experimenting with that when I left." Avaraleen shrugged as she examined the medallion for a moment, walking it through her fingers a few times, before slipping it into her pouch. "As far as I knew he'd only gotten as far as making obsidian trinkets for his girlfriend of the month. I'd heard him talking about attempting to use it as armor, and I'd warned him not to as obsidian is quite easy to break if you've got a fair amount of force."

"Like this?" Link pulled out the hammer.

"That'll work." Avaraleen nodded. "I'd keep that with you. Never know when you need to bash something to pieces." She glanced out a nearby window. "Sun's going down. You three better get some sleep before we go back to that snake pit of a castle. There's pallets at the far end. Go."

Under her stern gaze, they did as she said. Link unbuckled the baldric and laid the Master Sword and his shield near the head of the pallet before flopping onto it, exhaustion forcing his eyes close almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. He heard someone snigger and another sigh in exasperation, but he didn't care: he was already asleep.

xxx

Avaraleen sighed as she pushed off both her hood and scarf. So, Zamur was after the sword as a catalyst, but in its current state it would destroy his ritual. The only way he'd be able to use it is if he was able to warp the Master Sword's nature, and that could only happen if Link were to suddenly change his mind and start working for Zamur or went on a psychotic killing spree with the sword.

She chuckled softly as she leaned against the wall. Like either of those were ever going to happen. The day Link joined Zamur would be the day she went back to the Sheikah as a scullery maid. As for the killing spree...Link's personality was of one who'd throw the sword away and run as far away from it as possible. He'd seen too much needless death for him to cause anymore. No, Link couldn't be Zamur's plan to get ahold of and warp the sword. Which could only mean...

Her eyes narrowed. _What are you planning, Zamur? What do you have up your sleeve?_

ooo0ooo

Far to the north, a tall figure stood before a basin, intent on what the water there held. A longsword with a violet hand-and-a-half hilt and winged crossguard. He could see every detail on its blue and gold sheath, the facets on the blue gem in the hilt, every single part of that sacred blade of the Goddesses except for where it was! He knew it was with that wretched boy of a Hero, but someone was interfering with both his Marker scouts and his scrying, and so he had no idea if that boy was still in Kakariko or not.

Growling a curse in a language known only to him, he gripped the basin with both hands as he leaned in closer. The edges of the sword's outline were blurred by what appeared to be deep-cyan fire, but the movements were too fluid to be completely fire. This was a mage's doing: it was impossible for anyone to hide the sword's power, but it was possible for one to blur the location of it, rendering any attempt to find it metaphysically impossible.

But who was the mage? There was only one he knew who could do something like this, and she had been confirmed dead. Besides, this wasn't her magic: hers was a pure amethyst, sharp and clear as crystal, and was never this...conflicting cyan appearance of fire and water. No, it appeared the Goddesses had found someone else to attempt to thwart his plans, and though he had lost on of his preferred key components, he still had other plans in place. That was only a minor setback.

The thought of her took a painful stab at his heart and he involuntarily glanced at the small wooden box he kept here. Unable to stop himself, he slowly lifted the lid and fingered the length of silk within. The deep black hid the blood dried along the entire length, but he could feel it cracking through his fingers. It had been her only tie back to the two races who had rejected her, and she had treasured it dearly. He still remembered her cursing at him in both languages when he had her in his tower, lunging as far as the chains would let her, her power building until he was surprised she was able to contain it. It had not been his intention to kill her, but she had forced his hand with the Dastier brand. Either he would have her, or no one would.

_And she rejected you anyways._

He frowned as he closed the box once more. That irritating fool of a voice. How dare he return after all he had caused last time he interfered.

_Oh, quit your complaining. As you are _my_ responsibility, I have to keep an eye on you every now and then._ The voice, if it had been physical, would have been smirking with that tone of voice.

"And what makes you think she rejected me?" he snarled back at the voice.

_The tower imprisonment was entirely your idea. I did tell you when it came to people like her, the more you push them, the harder they push back. Why else do you think I was laughing the entire time you were "persuading" her? Once she found out the truth, you could not force her back to your side: you had to win her back, make her believe she truly belonged with us._ There came a pause, a brief moment when he thought the voice had left, but it came back. _I don't know which is more pathetic: my misplaced faith in you or your incompetence._

"My incompetence?" he growled. "I do recall keeping my end of the bargain."

_Not from where I'm standing. I am worse off now than I was back then, and you still have nothing._ The voice gave a half-hearted chuckle. _The princess is still at the castle, and under tighter guard I might've add; your intended prism is dead; the Hero continues to snatch the keys to the pure natural magic from the clutches of all your equally incompetent lackeys; and how you intend to even get ahold of the Master Sword is beyond me. Tell me, how are you still alive after all these failures?_

One powerful kick reduced a nearby table into splinters. "It is high time the luck of that Hero ran out. All that he has done has only equated to a minor flaw in my plan. I will succeed this time." Glaring at the entrance, he barked, "Phorma!"

A woman entered, her dark robes rippling like liquid. "You called?" she asked lazily, brushing a pale strand of hair away from her dark eyes.

He nodded once. "You know want to do."

She rolled her eyes. "And why should I go willingly to my death?"

"Because I need you to take a small detour to the caves before you go." He came closer and handed her a gnarled dagger. "Acquire our newest asset and set it after the Hero and his little friends."

With a raised eyebrow, she took the dagger. "And what if it should fail? He's already defeated it before."

"Then stab him in the back." He turned back to the basin. "You happen to be very good at that, correct?"

She scoffed. "I might be a little out of practice." Walking back towards the entrance, she called over her shoulder, "You need me to do anything else before I go?"

He glowered at her. "Only for you to get there before they do."

"Ok, see you later." She sauntered out of his presence, and his eyes narrowed.

"And make sure you don't come back," he growled. "Or perhaps I'll arrange for my latest toy to dispose of you once you no longer have any use for me."

_For once, I agree with you,_ said the voice.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>And once more I leave you with an ambiguous ending. Don't you just love them?

College is the death of all fanfiction writers, I am sure of it. Every professor insist their subject is the most important, (I only agree with one of the five I have this semester) and nearly all of them insist on some type of homework. And then there's you attempting to find time to spend with your friends, and sleep is soooo overrated (sarcasm cough)... Argh, well, that's life for ya.

So, y'all know the drill by now, please leave a review in the box below, I'll answer any question I can at this time and- ****hears coughing from behind**** I gotta go. Flu season has been a real bear around here, but I can't decide: should I go to Dr. Borville or Doc Bandam? Suggestions anyone?

Well, that's all for now, so until next time, dragoness of storm, out! See ya!


	19. Some Answers, Even More Questions

**Author's note:** Thanks to ThatZDFan, Twilight's Shad0w, Dire Heart, Riku Uzumaki, HazelGamerKat, and the rest of you anonymous peoples out there that stick with me even when I taking freakin' forever on this! I refuse to give up on this, even when professors wise up on the fact that not everyone is taking notes in their class, but who cares about that right now. I'm baaaaaaack...and here's the story:

* * *

><p>Link knew the day was going to be great when the first person to greet them was one of the Sheikah twins. They all had left Kakariko extremely early in the morning to hopefully reach the castle without being noticed by too many people, but their horses hadn't even stepped on the drawbridge when a black shadow dropped down in front of them.<p>

Avaraleen stopped her mare with a firm hand on its neck. "Arric, what's wrong?" she asked.

Arric shook his head. "Trouble...at the castle," he gasped, trying to keep himself upright on shaking legs. "You and...the Hero can't...can't go back."

Link glanced from Arric to Avaraleen and back again. The Sheikah looked as though he hadn't slept for a while, and he had never seen one ever looked this scared. "What happened?" he asked. "Where's your brother?"

"Princess." Arric waved a hand at the castle. "She's fine, but you two," he pointed at Link and Avaraleen, "can't go back. You need to hide, now!"

Avaraleen nodded. "Ichor, Ella, you go back to the castle and stay out of sight until I contact you. Link, you're with me." Nudging her mare forward, she leaned down and pulled Arric into the saddle behind her. Glancing around, she urged her mount away from the drawbridge.

Link shared a confused look with Ichor and Ella. "I'll see you later," he said before wheeling Chaser around and following Avaraleen. She had opened the same hidden passage he'd used the first time he had returned from the Lost Woods and was waiting for him rather impatiently. A jerk of her head suggested he go in first, so he swung out of the saddle down to the ground and led Chaser through it, Avaraleen right behind him.

The hooves of the horses echoing behind them, they followed the winding tunnel via the light of blue bioluminescent mushrooms growing from the ceiling. Glancing back, Link could see Arric still on Avaraleen's horse, slumped forward as though the Sheikah hadn't had a moment's rest since they all had left. "Arric, what's going on?" he asked.

The Sheikah stirred. "Your quarters in the castle had been broken into not long after you had left," he murmured. "We don't know if anything has been taken, but for now it might be best if the two of you stay out of sight for now. Aren and I have been trading shifts watching the Princess and waiting for you to return."

"Has there been another attempt on the Princess?" Avaraleen asked.

Arric shook his head. "Not yet, or I would have contacted you." he sighed and rubbed his eyes. "But that one General what's-his-face is becoming a pain again."

"Is he still trying to get in on this whole thing?" Link shot over his shoulder.

"Unfortunately, yes." The Sheikah cracked the knuckles on one hand. "He believes that with the death of the Sorceress, Link is no longer bond to this mission."

"Ha ha, but I wasn't the one who put him up to this," Avaraleen quipped.

"Yeah, that was the king," Link added. "So he can take his complaints to him."

"The king has been preoccupied with other matters," Arric said. "The Interlopers have released their ultimatum: the king is to surrender the princess by Midsummer's Eve or they will attack the castle."

"So that's why I didn't see many Sheikah back in Kakariko," Avaraleen mused. "He's got them putting the castle on lockdown, and I'll bet both of my swords he's requested the Kasha-Deem to find that encampment."

"Yes, and they are, with the exception of my brother and I." Arric slid off the mare and moved up to walk between Link and Avaraleen. "He said he liked us right where we were."

"I'll bet," Link said. "So what has the king done about this?"

Arric sighed. "To be honest, not much. The message was delivered by a walking shadow, a Marker I believe, that disappeared afterwards. The king ordered for the Sheikah to find the remaining Interlopers, but other than that, he's done nothing other than restrict the Princess to certain parts of the castle and attempts to keep her out of all war councils."

"Attempt?" Avaraleen and Link both gave Arric a look.

The Sheikah grimaced. "Every order that has come from the Crown to the Sheikah has actually come from the Princess. Absolutely nothing is being done in the war councils and the Princess knows it, so she enlisted the help of my brother and I to coordinate the Shiekah in the search. So far she has not yet been involved with the troop movements, hence why they're still where they are now, but Rauru has been advising her on that front."

"I think I can help there as well." Avaraleen nodded. "I've got a few favors I haven't cashed in yet." Halting her mare with a hand on its neck, she slipped past Link to press a random brick. A section of the wall, large enough for a horse to pass through, slid back to reveal what appeared to be the back of a building in Market Town. Avaraleen glanced both ways before gesturing for the others to follow her into the narrow alleyway.

Link squinted in the early morning light as he led Chaser out and, as he turned his head away from the light, he noticed Arric hadn't left the tunnel. "Aren't you coming?" he asked.

The Sheikah shook his head as he stepped aside to make room for the palomino mare to come out. "I need to relieve my brother and report back to the princess."

"Limit the amount of people who know we've returned," Avaraleen said in a low voice. "This is strictly on a need-to-know basis."

Arric threw up his hands. "What did you think I was going to do? Shout it from the rooftops?" He closed the wall before Avaraleen could reply.

Link raised an eyebrow at her. He had never seen a Sheikah talk that way.

She moved a shoulder up and down in a half-shrug. "He's exhausted," she said. "From the sound of things, he and Aren were doing the work of at least five people, and it'll only get worse once the Princess begins meddling with the army. Coordinating a war with only a handful of people is no easy task." She snapped her fingers and her mare followed obediently.

"Will she get control of the army?" Link asked, tugging Chaser along to follow.

Avaraleen sighed. "Not officially, no. Those already in charge will still be there, she'll just be behind them pulling the strings through the Sheikah."

Link raised an eyebrow. "And the Sheikah will let her?"

Pausing, Avaraleen turned to him. "There is a legend among the Sheikah about the ancestress of the Royal Family, about her being...different from everyone else. The Princess is showing the same traits as her ancestress, not to mention she seems to be doing a better job than her father. The Sheikah Elders may know more, but... ah, never mind," She shook her head as she continued on her way.

Link followed in silence, that feeling of him getting involved in something way over his head coming back in waves. He knew Avaraleen knew more than she was saying and normally, he was fine with it, but now...now he wanted answers. Even just a few. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"The Nest. No one will think to look for you there, and once I pay off all the right people, all you need to do is keep a low profile and all should be well." She glanced down an alleyway as she passed it. "I also need to talk to Crow. This last venture raised more questions than answers."

"Join the squad," Link said. "I don't even have a clue what is going on behind the scenes."

Avaraleen sighed. "Unfortunately, in this, neither do I."

They walked in silence for the next ten minutes, entering the Domain from behind the Crow's Nest. A stable had been built into the back with enough room to house a dozen horses, though only three stalls were currently in use. Link led Chaser into one and began to remove the stallion's tack, hanging it up on nearby racks. From one of his saddlebags he pulled out the small grooming kit he always carried. Chaser nicked appreciably at the sight of the bag and lowered his head contentedly as Link brushed the dirt out of his coat. Across the aisle, Avaraleen was doing the same with her mare, all the while murmuring what sounded like Gerudo the whole time. She finished before he did and slipped out of the stall.

"I'm going to arrange things with Crow and then I'll be heading up to the castle," she said, adjusting her face scarf. "There are a few things I need to find out."

Link nodded as he fondled Chaser's ears. "What do you want me to do while I'm here?"

"Stay out of sight, but catch up on the local gossip. Figure out how much the criminal grapevine knows." She disappeared through the door leading to the main building of the tavern.

Link sighed angrily. "For once I'd like to know what is going on around here," he said to Chaser. The stallion nickered and pushed his nose into Link's shoulder. Grinning, he pushed the nose away, offering a lump of molasses sugar. The ears pricked as the lump disappeared and immediately Chaser began to investigate his pockets for more.

"No, no more for you." Again he pushed the inquisitive nose away as he stepped out of the stall. "You're fat enough as is."

"Do you always talk to your horse like this?" Link turned to see Lyka standing in the door wearing a blue dress, a white shawl hung over her shoulders.

"We've been together a long time," Link said as he closed the stall door. "It's also a bit of a trademark among the Light Calvary Division."

She raised an eyebrow. "You all talk to your horses?"

He shrugged as he gave her a sheepish grin. "Yeah, but don't tell anyone. It's a secret to everyone."

She laughed as she came closer. "Don't worry, I won't. I've kept worse."

Link scratched the back of his head. "I can imagine," he sighed.

"There are some you wouldn't believe even if I told you." She turned to him while biting her lip nervously. "I overheard Phoenix talking to Crow about you staying here now, but seeing how things are, you may want be there before they chain you in the dungeon or something like that."

Link raised an eyebrow. "There is a dungeon here," he said flatly.

Lyka gave a wry half-smile. "Like I said, there are some things you wouldn't believe."

"Okay." Link dragged the word out as he contemplated this new intel on this nest of thieves. "Is there any way I can avoid being trapped in the dungeon?"

"Show up and complain in person." Lyka shrugged. "It may not work, but it's worth a shot." She turned to walk inside.

Link followed. "And what are my chances of not being stuck in there, or into some other unpleasant place?"

"With Crow, it's a shot in the dark." She held the door opened for him as they crossed the threshold into a dark hallway. "With Phoenix..." She trailed off.

When she didn't continue, Link prompted her. "With Phoenix?"

Lyka sighed. "Once she's made up her mind, your chances of changing it is like trying to hit an arrow with a smaller arrow in the dark, blindfolded, while riding a horse."

Link froze in his tracks. "Say what?"

"She's saying it's nigh near impossible, but you still have a chance." The two of them jumped and looked around. Before them the hallway forked; the left leading to the main room, the right to the kitchen. However, a hidden panel in the wall on the side leading to the kitchen had been opened. Avaraleen stood in the opening, hand on her hip, eyebrow raised. She jerked her head inside. "Get in here, both of you."

Link and Lyka traded looks before following Avaraleen into the dark room Link had first met Crow. The merchant of secrets sat in his chair at the table, arms crossed. His features were still impossible to make out in the iffy light, but it was clear he was frowning when he saw Lyka entering in behind Link. "Have a seat," he said in his raspy voice.

_I have a feeling I'll never get used to this_, Link said to himself as he took a seat. Aside from Crow frowning at him (okay, it was more of scowling at him), Avaraleen had her usual _I'll-kick-your-butt-into-next-week-if-you-even-attempt-to-mess-with-me_ air about her (and the knife she was working through her fingers didn't help), and Lyka, though she was half-perched on her chair, looked comfortable here. What Link didn't know was that while he was leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, his body was instinctively angled to be able to stand and fight at a moment's notice, and he had his own air: _Come-at-me-and-I'll-kick-your-butt-into-the-grave_.

Woe to any Interloper who dared opened that door.

"So Phoenix is asking for you to stay here to avoid more attacks from the Interlopers between treks," Crow said, glancing between Avaraleen and Link.

"Oh no, I'm not asking, I'm telling you." Avaraleen stabbed the table with her knife as she placed her hands the table and leaned over them, commanding Crow's full attention. Her eyes were hard as she glared at Crow. "I don't care if it costs me every favor you owe me, you will protect him."

Crow raised an eyebrow at her. "I beg your pardon? Where is this coming from?"

Avaraleen said a line in the Sheikah language. Link couldn't make out what she said but whatever it was made Crow to slightly flinched. "That changes things," he whispered, glancing over at Link. There looked to be a gleam of respect in his eyes.

"Exactly." Avaraleen straightened and wrenched her knife out of the table. "So, you going to do it?"

"I just need to figure out where he can stay. At the moment, I'm rather booked solid at the moment." Crow leaned back n his chair as he pressed his fingertips together in thought. "Normally having half a dozen hidden guest rooms the main building alone is more than enough, but ever since the end of the war, I've been contacting Thief-lords from all over in an attempt to give the illusion Hyrule is not as weak as we really are. So far, I haven't been able to convince any of them, and if I throw any of them out, we'll have even more problems than we have now."

"So all of the rooms are out of contention." Avaraleen began chewing on her lower lip as Crow nodded. "Basement?"

"Half of it's the cellar, a fourth is filled with junk we're being paid to hold, and the rest is covered with mushrooms someone's experimenting on," Lyka chimed in.

"Uh-huh..." At this rate, Avaraleen's lip was going to bleed. "Attic?"

"Staff quarters," Crow snapped immediately as he glared at Link. "A place you and everyone else not employed here are forbidden to go without my explicit permission."

"Tell that to Betsy," Link heard Lyka mutter under her breath. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and saw she had her arms crossed with a sour look on her face.

"Anyone in the dungeon?" Avaraleen asked, throwing her hands up in desperation.

Crow glanced over at Lyka, who glared right back. "It is half-flooded at this time of year," he said quietly. "And there is someone in there at this time. I haven't found the time to arrange his departure."

"He's been there since winter," Lyka added, still glaring at Crow. "All because he had the nerve to attempt to ask me out to dinner."

Avaraleen raised an eyebrow as she glanced over at Crow herself. "Seriously?"

Crow raised his hands in self defense. "The man is wanted in three towns for murder. I did what any other father would do for his daughter."

"Right..." Lyka dragged the word out as she rolled her eyes. "You're just omitting the simple fact that you didn't find that out until a week after you threw him there!" She gave Avaraleen a pleading look. "And now I'm known as the girl with the over-bearing father."

The older woman let out a sigh that more of a half growl. "Who would've thought a house of secrets would run out of places to hide?" She ran her fingers through her hair. "Is there any place in this heap that isn't booked solid?"

At this point, as all three of them fell silent in contemplation, Link leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You got anyone in the stable loft?" he asked. When three sets of raised eyebrows came his way, he shrugged. "Look, evidently this request came at a bad time, but I'm with A-Phoenix at this point," he continued, catching himself before he said Avaraleen's name. The codenames around here were going to drive him nuts. "I've got enough crap to deal with at this point with hunting down bits of magic I know next to nothing about and now someone is trying to steal from me, which is quite the idiotic move on their part. The only thing I don't carry with me all the time that I care about is Chaser, and he can be as stubborn as a mule if someone tries to steal him." He looked Avaraleen dead in the eyes. "The way I see this, I need to be able to move at a moment's notice. I've slept in a stable loft before; I can be ready to ride in ten minutes."

Avaraleen frowned. "There's still too much traffic through there for my preference. All too easy for an assassin or a Marker to get up there."

Link already had a solution. "Move Chaser near the entrance. He knows a few tricks to keep people away, or at least raise the alarm."

"And there are those cabinets up there we're not using at the moment," Lyka added. "It shouldn't be too hard to set one of them up for someone."

Her lower lip back between her teeth, Avaraleen seemed to mull this over. Link kept his gaze steady on her, but silently he was pleading to any of the Goddesses who were listening. _Please, please, I need a little luck here._

Finally she looked back at Link. "You sure about Chaser?" she asked.

Link nodded. "This is something I've taught him myself," he replied firmly.

With an explosive sigh, she looked at Crow. "Add his boarding to my bill," she said, pulling a drawstring pouch that clacked as she tossed it to Crow.

Weighing it expertly, the merchant of secrets shook his head. "And I still don't understand where you get all of this," he said.

Avaraleen shrugged. "I'm a thief who's been trained to kill when the time comes. There's really only one thing to do with a dead body."

"Hide where no one can find it?" Link asked. It seemed logical and, in a morbid sense, her style.

"Never have to worry about that with Moblins, Bobokins, and Markers." Avaraleen leaned back against the wall. "They take care of themselves. No, the one thing you can do is go through their pockets and look for loose change." One shoulder moved up and down in a half shrug. "It all adds up over the years."

Link hastily cleared his throat after a few moments of silence. "Well, if that's settled, can I get settled in? I'd like to catch up on sleep while I can." He looked at Avaraleen, who glanced at Crow, who nodded gravelly.

"Go and arrange things as you see fit," he rasped.

Lyka rose to her feet. "I'll show you what we're talking about and help you move in."

With a small sigh of relief, Link followed her back out to the stable, but just as the door was closing on the meeting room, he heard Avaraleen ask, "Now who is it you got in the dungeon and what do you plan to do with him?" He shuddered. Knowing Avaraleen, she had a plan for the guy, and it wasn't going to be good. Granted, the man down there was a murderer and he'd most likely get what was coming to him, but still, it most likely wasn't going to be good.

Back in the stable, Lyka stopped by the left stall all the way at the far end. "Go ahead and bring Chaser in here," she said. "Might as well get him comfortable."

Link nodded and opened Chaser's stall. Seeing his master, the stallion perked his ears and snorted, pawing at the ground. He thought they were going out again. "Easy there, boy," Link said, rubbing the underside of bay's jaw. "We're only going down the way."

Chaser gave a long, deep snort, the equivalent of a horse's sigh. He wanted to run, run until his legs gave out and he had to rest...only to do it again at the next opportunity. Link only shook his head and gave the long jaw another rub before throwing the tack on Chaser's back, but didn't fasten any of the buckles. The stallion flicked his ears back and shifted his weight to his hindquarters. If they were not going to run, why then was he wearing the itchy hard-skin?

"Your stuff, you carry it," Link said, as if he knew what the stallion was thinking. He draped the bridle over the saddle horn and double-checked to make sure none of the straps would tangle in Chaser's legs before leading the stallion out of the stall with only his hand on Chaser's neck. Lyka watched, slightly wide-eyed, as Link calmly led Chaser to his new stall and sent him in.

"I never thought anyone could do that with a stallion," she said breathlessly.

Link shot her a confused glance as he followed Chaser into the stall. "I do it all the time," he said as he moved the tack to the rack inside, silently hoping this would be the last time he would have to move this for a while. Seriously, this stuff was getting heavy. "I practically grew up with Chaser, hence why he listens to me." The stallion butted him hard on his rear. Link glared at him as Chaser gave him assumed a docile expression. "Or at least, most of the time."

Lyka pressed her lips together, but Link could see the corners of her mouth curve up into a smile before he turned around as something shiny caught the corner of his eye. "And that just adds to my conclusion that the Light Calvary is slightly insane," he heard her say as he picked the object up, which turned out to be just an abandoned buckle. There was a slight rustle followed closely by Chaser's warning snort. "Um..."

Link turned back around and instantly saw the problem. Chaser had his ears pinned back to his skull as he watched Lyka warily with one large brown eye. "Whoops, I forgot about that," Link said as he came forward. Taking Lyka's hand, he brought it to Chaser's nose. "Friend, Chaser, friend," he said in a low voice. "She's a friend."

Slowly the ears came back up as the nostrils flared a few times, taking in her scent. Link took his hand away from Lyka's and gently pushed her forward. Lyka was ramrod stiff as Chaser nosed her from head to foot, but started giggling as he took interest to her pockets.

"Oh no you don't, she hasn't got anything for you, carthorse." Link gently pushed his muzzle away before he looked back at Lyka. "Sorry about that. He's learned to be aggressive around people he doesn't know when I'm around unless I tell him otherwise."

"Are you sure?" Lyka asked, a slight twinge of nervousness in her voice. It was clear she did not want to get any closer to the stallion.

"Yep," Link replied as he gently drew her closer to Chaser. "Relax, he won't hurt you now. Once I tell him someone's a friend, he turns into an old nag until someone tries to attack me. If you feed him, he turns into your best friend." Tentatively, Lyka put a hand on Chaser's nose and gently stroked it. The stallion's eyelids fell halfway and his ears became more relaxed. "See, he's harmless now."

"You really know horses," she said as she moved closer to rub Chaser's ears.

Link gave a half-shrug. "Didn't have too many friends growing up. Chaser's practically my best friend."

Lyka shot him a glance. "You really need to get out more."

"I do, just not to the places everyone else is going to." Link covered a yawn. "So where is this spot you wanted to show me?"

"In here." Lyka gingerly stepped further into the stall, watching Chaser the whole time, but the stallion was contently asleep. Moving towards the back corner of the stall, she pointed out a ladder built into the wall there. "That leads to the compartment I was talking about. It's a bit on the small side, but if all you're going to do is sleep in there, it should be fine. However, there is a window both to the outside and to main loft. You can use them to see what's going, but just be careful no one else sees you."

Link nodded and ascended the ladder. In the loft above, a false wall had been built, creating a space three feet long and ten feet wide. The floor was bare of anything save a fine layer of dust. Just as Lyka said, there were two parchment-covered windows, one in each of the long walls, with the rising sun weakly shining through the one on the outside. It was on the narrow side, but for him, it was great. Finally, he would have a place where he would be away from the public eye while he was doing this...quest...thing.

"How many people know about this?" he asked Lyka down below.

"Me, Crow, and the two stable boys," she replied before furrowing her brow. "Do you need to introduce Chaser to them?"

Link shook his head. "I'll just tell Chaser to guard the ladder. As long as they don't try to go up it or annoy Chaser too much, he'll leave people alone." He gestured at the pair of saddle-bags hanging from rack. "Hand me my saddlebags, please?" He took the bags from her and tossed them into the space before jumping lightly back down to the ground. A low whistle brought Chaser's head around. Stroking the soft nose, he pointed at a rung on the ladder three feet off the ground. "Guard, Chaser."

The stallion sniffed the indicated rung and nickered in acknowledgment before returning to his half-dozing state. "There," Link said, "that should keep everyone from worrying too much." He stretched his arms over his head as he became aware of a gnawing hunger in his stomach. "You got anything to eat around here?"

Lyka rolled her eyes. "Of course we do. Just don't eat everything in sight." She glanced back over at Chaser. "Why just that one point on the ladder?"

Link shrugged. "I figured you liked your stable boys intact, and he'll bite anyone I haven't named 'friend' who tries to go past that rung. He'll keep an eye on whoever's in there, but as long as they don't try to go past that point, he'll leave them alone."

"Ah, that makes sense," Lyka said. "I'll just tell the boys not to go up the ladder. They'll just thump the floor if you're there and we need to get your attention. All should be fine now." At this moment, Link's stomach gave a particular loud grumble, causing Lyka to giggle. "Or maybe they will be after we get some food into you," she added, taking his hand. "Come on, you. Just don't eat everything; I still have the lunch rush to get through."

ooo0ooo

To the Royal Guards, standing sentry at the entrance to the dungeons was a waste of time. Everyone knew the unseen eyes of the Sheikah were the real guards here. They were just here as a visible deterrent to any who thought to meddle there. It was an easy job, just turn aside anyone without the proper authorization, and if they really tried to cause trouble, send them to on their way with a prod of their spear, but it was absolutely boring most of the time, particularly after the first hour. Unknown to them, there was a young Sheikah stationed just inside the door behind them who was just as bored as they were. Hardly anything exciting happened here; in fact, anyone station here was usually the last to know what all was going on, and then they normally had the added bonus of being stuck with the unfortunate sod who'd caused the ruckus in the first place. This was a job that hardly anyone wanted as it was so dull looking at the same scenery for hours on end.

However, every now and then there was something that put them on their toes.

Doing his best to fight a yawn, Shaun glanced over at his partner. "Tell me again why we're doing this?" he asked.

George shrugged. "It beats being out on the wall all day. Particularly when it starts getting hotter."

Shaun snorted. "Yeah, but this is Shadow folk stuff. You know they like getting their hands dirty with scum like this." He jerked his head towards the dungeons. "If they like this kind of work, let them guard it themselves." Glancing behind him, he added, "Not that there's anything in there."

The hidden Sheikah rolled his eyes at this. Seriously, who didn't know about the palace break-in almost a week ago?

George merely grunted. "There's one in there. Don't know what he's in there for, but I've heard a few of them talking about him. He's been there for, I think, a week." He rotated his shoulders, his armor clanking softly. "Although it had to be bad if no one's heard of what this guy's in for. I thought they had their own place for people like him?"

"We do, but that's only for those we don't even want their names to ever see the light of day." Both guardsmen jumped as they saw a pair of people standing before them. The Sheikah behind them merely raised his head a little, his eyes narrowing as he examined the two.

One was a woman in the dark blue and white bodysuit of the Sheikah, the other a man in ragged clothing, his hands bound behind his back. The woman's short sword was held at the back of the man's neck, forcing his gaze to stay on the ground. With her face and hair covered by the traditional head scarf, she looked just like every other Sheikah, to those who didn't know where to look. The stance, how one spoke, even the angle of the blade was clues to another Sheikah as to who they were dealing with. But not with this one. While the voice sounded young, both the stance and the blade's angle said this woman had been in, and won, more than her fair share of battles.

This is a dangerous one, the Sheikah thought.

The woman continued speaking. "Not that you have the authorization close enough to even have nightmares about what is kept in there. What you do have the authorization to do is open that door behind you so this young charmer," she yanked on the man's bound hands, "can meet what he has coming to him."

As the two guards exchanged glances, the hidden Sheikah decided to step in. "Who have we got here?" he asked, stepping out of the shadows while ignoring the murmurs of shock that always followed such an appearance.

"None other than Bloody Mark Fields." In a blur of silver, the blade whipped from the back of the man's neck to his chin, raising his chin so his face was visible. The murmurs turned to low growls as they all recognized the man wanted for a total of at least eight deaths in three villages, with a possible two more in a fourth, if they could find the evidence.

"Give him a few for me," Shaun said, giving Mark a dark smile as the guardsman open the dark iron gate to the dungeons. George leered at him as the woman nodded as she dragged her unwilling companion with her, the Sheikah following him close behind. The gate swung close with a deafening clang that made Mark jump almost high enough to hit the low ceiling.

The woman yanked hard on his bound hands. "Not so fast, my lad," she said an eerily calm tone. "There are far worse things than the banging of an old door." She and the Sheikah exchanged annoyed glances. As intimidating as some Royal Guards could be, when it came to instilling fear in certain people, they were all a little lacking in that department, using only the oldest tricks in the book. While some did work (as was evident by Mark almost hitting the ceiling), such tactics made the professional fear-instillers roll their eyes. There are times when one leaves such things to the professionals.

The three of them continued through the dark corridor in silence, but the Sheikah was burning with curiosity. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer. "How did you get him?"

The woman glanced back at him, somewhat sheepishly. "Ah, I was wondering when you would ask, because I need a favor."

The Sheikah stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow. Favors were the currency of espionage, and many had hidden motives and consequences that were really not worth the trouble. Only an idiot would accept right off the get-go without any additional information. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Well, I got him practically gift-wrapped in...a grey area. If you were to take him, write the report as such, and leave me out of it, you get the bounty. All of it."

The second eyebrow joined the first. Bloody Mark Fields had a bounty of 1500 rupees, an amount that had everyone keeping an eye out and checking every rumor. For him to get the entire credit, even under somewhat dubious circumstances, that could definitely help him get his next promotion. As for the report, "gift-wrapped" prisoners were the easiest to write up as they always turned up with no note or demand. However...

"What's the catch?" he asked. "What do you really want?"

"I need to talk to the other one down here," she replied flatly.

Oh great shiitake mushrooms. The orders from the Sheikah council were clear: no one, not even another Sheikah, was even allowed to catch a glimpse of the prisoner without explicit, and most likely handwritten, permission. As steep as the bribe she was offering was, he'd lose money over losing his job, and probably his life. "I'm afraid I can't let you," he said cautiously. "I'm under orders from the Council: no one can see him."

"Correction: no one can see him without this." She pulled out a small scroll and handed it to him. Immediately he recognized the seal of the Council and swallowed hard. There was no way that could be fake: the penalty for even processing a forged seal was death, but he still had his doubts. He opened his mouth, looking up as he did so, and immediately caught the piercing gaze she had directed towards him.

"I'll just take this one off your hands then," he said, trading her the man's bound hands for the scroll.

"Thank you," she replied with unnerving cheerfulness. "As for the favor you'd owe me, just don't mention this little visit to anyone, agreed?"

"You just dropped him off and let me do the paperwork," he shrugged. "What you do on your own time is your own business." As he dragged Mark down the dark hallway, he surreptitiously jerked his head towards a narrow stairway barely visible in the darkness. The stairs led to an iron door embellished with an opened eye with no visible means of opening. What normally stymies others was only a flash of the insignia for the Sheikah.

Ned raised his head as the iron door grated inwards and squinted at the silhouette coming through. "Ya come back again, eh?" he croaked. "I've told ya all I can, so you ain't getting nothin' more outta me." He shrugged. "Unless ya here to kill me. Then by all means, go right on ahead." The door shut with a soft clang, plunging the room into complete darkness for a moment. Then bright blue fire tinged with violet flared into life along the walls. Ned jumped as it came near him, but there was no heat, so it wasn't a torture spell. Not yet at least. He looked up at his "guest," immediately noticing the Sheikah uniform and the feminine curves, and smacked his lips. "Well ain't you a sight much better than my usual visitors. Ya here to have a romantic dinner by firelight with a known criminal?"

"I'd rather talk without anyone overhearing," was the soft reply. She reached up and removed the scarves covering her face and hair. "As for killing you, that is all up to you."

Ned gaped. "Great Goddesses above, yer suppose ta be dead!"

Avaraleen smiled coldly at him. "A fact that will not leave this cell, Ned. Now I know you have information you're not giving up because of the death curse Zamur put on you. With all that's going on, and your apparent death wish, why haven't you said anything?"

For a moment, Ned was silent, stunned at what was going on. Then he shook his head. "Lady, you should know better than me what manner of death Zamur puts on them who talk. I've been hopin' I'd annoyed' someone into giving me a clean death afer I go through that."

"If he's still using the same one, I can halt it for about half an hour." Avaraleen kneeled down in front of him to look him in the eye. "If you tell me everything you know, I promise you a clean death."

Ned narrowed his eyes. "Now how do I know you can make such a promise?"

She raised an eyebrow. "If I can't slow the effects, I'll just kill you anyways. Deal?"

After a moment, Ned waved a hand weakly. "Sure, go ahead. I've been dyin' ever since I join the Interlopers." He kept talking even as the sorceress closed her eyes. "Should've know better when some great magician offers ya a big ole...whatchacallem...oh, yeah, estate just fer followin' him. Nothin' ever comes free. Ya always work fer things, whether yer a-beggin' or thievin' or whatever, unless yer a noble. Then ya live off of other's work."

Avaraleen opened her eyes. "There are a few who work for a living," she said softly. "Just not that many think of what they do as 'work'." She sat back on her heels as she pulled a long dagger out of her boot. "I think I have it blocked, so tell me what you know."

Ned swallowed nervously. He didn't feel any different, but if this meant him finally getting out of this predicament (although not in the way he'd imagined), what the Evil Realm. _Might as well start with the most important bit, _he thought as he took a breath. "Zamur wants the princess because he thinks she's some goddess reincarnated," he blurted out before screwing his eyes shut and waiting for some type of horrible pain to spread from somewhere in his body.

Nothing happened. He cracked an eyelid and saw Avaraleen staring intently at him, the flames from her spell reflecting off her eyes. "Go on," she hissed.

Ned nodded. "I overheard him once in his tent afore me and Carrack were sent out," he said, gaining confidence and speed as he spoke. "That's when I learned about that shady guy he's been a-talkin' to. And this guy is huge if that shadow was somethin' ta reckon by, and he's got this real deep voice that could make the mountain tremble. Or maybe that was just me. Anyways, he told Zamur he better not mess this up, or he'd pay fer..." he screwed up his face as he tried to remember the exact words, "...'being released first?' I ain't gotta clue what he's a-talking about, but that seemed ta get Zamur, as he starts a-bowing and saying, 'Master, I will find your path to your release,' or somethin' like that."

Avaraleen had started chewing her lower lip. "Zamur is working for someone else?" she muttered. "That just makes no sense." She shook her head. "I'll figure that out later. Do you know why he wants the Hero?"

Ned shrugged. "As far as I know, he wants the boy dead. I think it's about somethin' his ancestor did long ago. Yeesh, dude, move on. But it's the sword he's really after. He thinks he can use it to serve his purpose."

Avaraleen raised an eyebrow again. "That's impossible if he can't even touch the thing."

"He said he knew how to warp its nature." He raised his hands, forestalling her next question. "Don't be askin' me as I don't know, but he says he knows, so you'll have to ask him."

Avaraleen nodded absently. "Of course. Where is the base camp?"

"Northern mountains, but the valley only has two ways in, both narrow and heavily guarded." Ned rotated his jaw as it started to feel extremely heavy and thick. "Is my mouth supposed ta feel like this?"

"Like you can hardly move it?" When he nodded, Avaraleen sighed. "He's getting better at them. My protection's wearing off now. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Naw, that's about it." As she stood back up, he threw himself at her. "Please, ya promised me I wouldn't end this way!"

"That I did." Avaraleen reached out a hand and something seemed to hit him in the chest. There came a slight flare of pain before darkness claimed him...

Avaraleen sighed as Ned's body hit the ground. She really hated doing this, but collapsing a few key arteries and nerves was the most pain-free death she could give him, and seeing how he kept his word as best he could, she had to as well. Some of his intel was things she'd either already known or guessed, but the bit about the princess...that was new factor to this. Actually, it started a nagging thought at the back of her mind. Reincarnated goddess? Odd as it might be, she had heard something quite similar many years ago, and she had a feeling that had something to do with what was going on right now. But what?

She shook her head. _All good things come to those who wait,_ as the saying went, and it was only mid-morning. There was still time, preciously little time, but time nonetheless. She had other things to attend to, such as that journal. Rauru had sent a message to Crow saying he'd finished the translation. Sure, she ought to go to the rooms and attempt to find out what in the Evil Realm whoever was in there was looking for, but the journal had been nagging at the back of her mind ever since Tempestade's last visit, and now she had a chance to shed some light on this whole fiasco.

Walking out of the cell, she closed the door silently behind her before she bit her thumb hard enough to make it bleed and drew an x on the door with her blood. It was a signal to the Sheikah that the prisoner inside had died, which would cause quite the upheaval among the higher-ups, but hopefully they wouldn't take it too hard on the one they had stationed here. Perhaps if she left a summary of what Ned had told her, that would soften the blow. After she burned the forged "official order" she had shown him, though. The fact that someone had a counterfeit copy of the Sheikah seal was not to be common knowledge, lest Crow had his neck on the chopping block...again.

_Well, you're not getting anything done down here, _the Sheikah side of her snapped._ Get a move on!_

Avaraleen rolled her eyes at that thought, but began to silently navigate her way through the dungeons. There was a Sheikah passage from here to near the Royal Apartments, the theory behind that being the Sheikah could quietly cart off any "undesirables" that made it passed the guards. It was also the quickest way to get to the Archives, where Rauru was keeping the journal.

Along the way, she shed the tight body-suit uniform of the Sheikah for the cropped top and loose pants of the Gerudo. She would surely cause a stir in the castle, if she was caught, but this was one of those times where she preferred comfort over practically, and it wasn't as though she stopped being cautious as her clothes were dark and she kept an eye out for passers-by.

There was no one in the Archives when she eased one of the massive doors open just wide enough for her to slip inside before she closed it behind her. All the better. She stretched her arms out behind her as she wandered over to where tax records from about sixty years ago where kept, along with sixty years worth of dust. _Very nice, Rauru,_ she murmured silently as she gingerly reached behind a stack of brittle scrolls to produce the journal. _But why to the best hiding places have to be saturated with dust?_

Between the pages of encoded text were folded sheets of paper with the translation for that pair of pages. Avaraleen flipped through the journal, hardly glancing at what she had read before but slowing down as she came to what she hadn't and frowned. For the most part, the journal had been written in the smooth script of a scribe, but here, at the last twenty pages or so, the handwriting was rougher. She found a padded chair half-hidden in an alcove and curled up on it as she picked up the first part of the translation. Here it seemed to stop being a universal account and become a private record of the last leader of the Knights Below: a man named Marcus. While he still used the same encoding process as his predecessors, the writing looked rushed, as though he had written it all at one point in his life, and the beginning seemed to confirm that theory.

_I write this as a warning to those who find this so they may not repeat what we so foolishly did._

One eyebrow shot up. No matter what the story was, anything that started like that had to be good, and reading a good story had always been one of her hidden vices. With one more glance, Avaraleen made sure no one else was around before settling herself to read.

_We were fools, all of us, to search for something we had no right to, but when do we mortals think we do not have the right?_

_Ever since our ancestors had descended from the heavens, the Order of the Knights Below had been charged to find the blade of the Goddess. It had once been under the watch of a select group before the Goddess's chosen champion, Link, had claimed the sacred blade to rescue Zelda, the Goddess reincarnated. Once his task was done, he left the blade, now tempered with three sacred fires, in a place only he and a few others knew about. However, he would not tell anyone where. In fact, none of his companions would, which caused some confusion. If such a blade had been watched before, it was logical for others to watch it again so it could be found if, or when, needed again. Yet why would those who knew not say where it is? That was our mindset as we vainly sought the sword, despite the warnings of the Shadow Folk. Oh, what fools we all were..._

_But I digress. The People of the Shadow were there, always watching, during our century-long search, warning us away from this quest. I now believe they always knew where the blade was, as it was only when they were all distracted did we finally find it._

_The Champion of the Goddess had left the blade impaled in a great stone in the ruin of a temple. Time had allowed the forest to reclaim nearly all of it, save for a small area immediately around the sword. At first we were all elated. Finally, after decades of fruitless searching, dead ends, and many of our comrades giving up the quest, we had found that which we had sought._

_However, we then had the problem of wresting the blade from its resting place. For some reason, the sword seemed to be bound to the stone, as all of us failed to even move it a fraction. In retrospect, I should have just declare our search over and set the guard there, but years of pride and working on our own vault lead me to rash deeds. I ordered the stone broken to free the blade so that we may be the only ones who knew where it was to be kept._

_It took us thirty minutes to even make a crack appear in the resting stone, but when it appeared, a dark yellow light began to emit from the gem set in the hilt. Again, a warning I chose to ignore._

_Just before we freed the blade, one of the Sheikah suddenly appeared, shouting as us to stop, but he was too late. The stone had finally broken and the sword was ours. At first there was more celebration, as our self imposed quest was almost over..._

_... And then disaster struck._

_The dark yellow light turned swiftly a blackish orange as a shapeless shadow that instantly slew five of my companions without their knowing. Seven more attempted to slay the shadow and avenge their fellows, but it in turn slew them. There had once been eighteen of us when the day began: we were now down to six in the course of minutes._

_We all could have died that instant had not one of the Sheikah appeared. He managed to stop the shadow for a few moments, all the time ordering us to leave the ruins and take the sword with us. "Finish what you intended to do," were his exact words if I recall correctly. I believe he spat those words at us, not that I mind now._

_At first, we all could just stare in horror at the evil we had released, but when the shadow managed to wound Gareth, we all fled, with me holding the blade as though my life depended on it, which was most likely the situation. The six of us rode without ceasing to the mountain where we had long since been preparing. Normally the journey would have taken us four days; we transverse the distance in one and a half, passing by a small group of Sheikah galloping back the way we had come. Once there, we set the final wards as Theodore, the one priest among us, prayed to the three Golden Goddesses that the sword would only then be found by the next one who needed it, and that our actions had not caused the end of the world. At last, our mission was now done, but at what cost? We had released an evil seemingly bent on destroying everything in sight, all in the name of a foolishly unnecessary quest. With heavy hearts and consciouses, we made our way back to the ancient seat of the Order of the Knights Below, hoping all ill was now done._

_We were wrong. A Sheikah met us there at the empty mansion. Although twelve of us had died on this journey, there were at least thirty others involved in other matters, but they had been sent away, permanently disbanded under pain of death by the Sheikah Tribe. The one there informed us on the matter at hand: they had been able to hold the shadow while we escaped, but it had broken free, as their binding was only temporary, and it was now after us, as we were the only ones who now knew where it was. The Sheikah told us that while they would do their best to trap the shadow, there was a high chance we would all be killed by it before that could happen. I do not understand why they could only hope to trap it, but I am done with things of such nature._

_As I write this, I am the only one left of that fateful expedition. The shadow has claimed the others, and I know I am to die soon. I pray only that the Goddesses give the Sheikah (who I know are watching even now) the ability to stop this shadow before it begins to attack the rest of Hyrule. For those who read this, take this as a warning: Never attempt to interfere or improve on things of divine nature. We here had learned such the hard way._

_If any have read this in hopes of finding what we once sought, you have better have great need of it and are the one the Goddesses have chosen, but I will leave no directions here. Only one of our number had written details of where the blade now rests died far from here. Seek him first if you dare quest for the blade. It be so at your own peril, as I am now d-_

A long trail of ink and a few drops of long-dried blood marked the rest of the page, and thus the end of the story.

"I see you finished it."

Avaraleen literally leapt out of the chair, slightly furious with herself. Her mind had been too focused on what she had just read, but thankfully her reflexes had not been napping, one hand pulling out one of the knives in her boot. However, the sight of Rauru standing behind her chair made her relax...slightly. There was a short awkward pause as she managed to slow down her rapidly beating heart and spit out her Sheikah emblem that had somehow gotten into her mouth while reading. "Has anyone ever told you _not_ to sneak up on a Sheikah?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Rauru chuckled. "All eight of them now."

Avaraleen raised an eyebrow at that. "You're wasted on being a politician if you can sneak up on eight Sheikah."

Rauru shook his head. "I'm afraid I've become too fond of the intricacies of politics for me to leave them."

"The Sheikah have their own politics," she countered.

He inclined his head ruefully. "Very true. Allow me to clarify: I am too fond of Hylian politics. The little I know of Sheikah politics make them sound far too...contorted for someone like me."

Avaraleen smiled. "Hence why I have nothing to do with them." She nodded towards the journal. "So what did you make of that?"

Rauru crossed his arms and frowned. "To be honest, it revealed not as much as I thought. I had already surmised they were after the Master Sword, but the last account only gave more questions than answers for me. There were quite a few allusions to the Sheikah though. Did they mean anything to you?"

"No." Avaraleen shook her head as she began pacing. "Contrary to popular belief, the Sheikah do not share everything with everyone. Something like what Marcus described had to have been kept extremely secret, as in completely in the dark secret, and only about ten Sheikah have access to those."

Rauru grunted. "The Sheikah Council?"

Avaraleen nodded. "And probably the Keeper of the Archives, but none of them will let any of us catch a glimpse of those records."

"Why not?" Rauru asked.

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "A shadow coming from the Master Sword capable of killing without being killed...that is an evil the Sheikah would not want to be known it's around, let alone released. As such, all of them who know will deny its existence, and can have us killed if we raise too much noise about it. No, if we're to get to the bottom of this...I'm going to have to get in there myself."

This time it was Rauru who raised an eyebrow. "Planning another escapade, are you?"

Avaraleen shook her head as she gave a wry smile. "Not yet. I'll wait until it's time to get Link in the Shadow Temple before I try that. I think I've got enough to handle at the moment." Bracing her hands at the small of her back, she arched her back, popping it with a small sigh. "Like that break-in. Seriously, I'm a little lost as to what they were hoping to find there."

ooo0ooo

Link woke with a start. Judging by the light, it was a little after midday. For once he didn't have that strange dream again, but something out of the ordinary had woke him. There was nothing in the loft with him, and Chaser wasn't causing a racket down below, so it might not be an emergency. Still, never hurt to check...

Keeping his breathing low and even, he listened for a sign of whatever it was that woke him. For a moment, he thought he was imagining things and was about to go back to sleep when he heard it again: a low murmur coming from below. Someone was in the stables. He slowly arm-crawled to the opening, the voice becoming clearer, but it wasn't until he was right next to it that he recognized it: Lyka.

Craning his neck, he saw her standing at the door to Chaser's stall, stroking the stallion's long muzzle as she spoke. "...and this is just the start of it. If, no, _when_ Crow hears about this, I can only imagine what he'll do. Probably throw him in the dungeon like he does with everyone else, and I don't know if Aunt Phoenix can or will be able to do anything about it." She let out a small groan. "You may have your work cut out for you, Chaser. I know Father is just trying to protect me, but he can be a little on the overbearing side. Especially when relationships are involved."

Link pulled back a little with a frown. What had happened that would make Crow become agitated towards him? The only thing he had done with Lyka was talk with her over breakfast. _Uh, you forgetting that dance at the Spring Ball?_ a mischievous voice in his head asked.

_That was a last minute attempt to get away from that matchmaker mother,_ he snapped back silently. _I don't even like dancing._

_Yeah, keep telling yourself that,_ the voice replied snidely. _But you do like her, admit it. You even thought she was the prettiest girl at the ball._

Link ground his teeth at that. He remembered having that thought at the ball. _Okay, I did think that, but she is still out of bounds. _

_Oh, and how is that?_

_She has an overprotective father._

_And you faced down gigantic monsters, evil mages, and trapped-filled dungeons. What's one father compared to that?_

_Said father has access to a private dungeon, and I am very convinced he has high connections to the Sheikah and the criminal underground. I have no doubt he could make me disappear in an instant._

_Avaraleen still needs you for that mission the King charged you with. She'll protect you._

_Heh heh, only as long as she needs me, and then she might throw me at Crow._

_Maybe, or she might take your side on this._

_Says who?_

_Oh come on. Out of the few women you've met, this is the first one to really catch your attention. Throw caution into the wind for once._

_Did that before, and look where it landed me._

_In a position to talk to a girl you don't meet every day. Seriously, buck up and talk to her, or you're going to regret not doing so. Unless you rather go for the numerous simpletons that are a rupee a dozen._

Link let out a small breath. _It was a really odd feeling to argue with yourself and lose,_ he observed silently, but the other voice was had a point. Maybe he should give this a shot...

Below he heard Lyka heave a great sigh. "Well, that's the story of my life. Thanks for listening, Chaser." Peeking back over, he saw her turn to leave. Having no other idea, Link poked his head out.

"Everything alright?" he asked.

Lyka jumped and turned back around, a dagger visible in her hand. "Din's fire, Link, hasn't anyone told you not to startled people?" she demanded as she slid her dagger back into its hidden sheath.

"Sorry, didn't mean to do that." Link dropped down from the loft into Chaser's stall. "Although with the way things are going on, it's probably good for me to stay in practice."

Lyka chuckled. "Probably." Her face suddenly went red and she looked away rather hastily. "Um...I didn't wake you, did I?"

Link shrugged on shoulder. "Just a little, but it was about time for me to start doing something besides sleeping all day. But is everything alright?"

"What? Oh, yes, everything's fine. Just a personal problem. I can handle it." Lyka was refusing to look directly at him. "Anyways, now that you're up, what is it you want to do?"

Link thought for a moment, then had an idea."You wouldn't happen to have a practice court hidden somewhere around here?"

"Not exactly." Still not looking at him, Lyka put one hand on her hip as the other went to her chin. "There's an abandoned warehouse near the moat that a lot of people use. Technically, we own it, but let me check to make sure no one else is there right now." She glanced back at him before hurrying off back towards the main building, her face still bright red.

Link raised an eyebrow at Chaser. Never before had Lyka acted like this. "Was it something I said?" he asked. The stallion merely snorted and rubbed his forehead against Link's shoulder before Link pushed him away. "And when did I turn into your scratching post?" He brushed horse hair off his shoulder, but froze as he realized he was touching bare skin. Looking down, he realized he was only wearing his pants.

_Then just walk into the Woods with your shirt off. That should distract her from killing you for a while. An attractive, single, strong young man walking alone, Din knows it would work at the Fortress._

"Great advice there, Navarra," Link grumbled as he climbed back up the ladder. "Too bad that doesn't work against fathers who can practically find out anything." He was firmly convinced now that Crow suspected he might be attracted to his daughter, and while that might be true...okay, it _was_ true, he had to face facts: a relationship right now was not an option until after this quest was over. Then, he might have a shot...

_Get a grip there, lover boy,_ said the sensible little voice in his head he hardly seemed to listen. _Focus on surviving now before you even start thinking that. _

With a heavy, exasperated sigh, Link pulled on a shirt before shoving his feet into his boots. Drawing his knees up to his chest and practically banged his forehead on them. "There are days I really hate my life," he said in a muffed voice.

ooo0ooo

It was all Lyka could do not to slam the door behind her in her haste to get out of there, but thankfully; no one was in the hallway, so she was allowed to sprint lightly to the secret entrance to Crow's office. She knew he was out conducting business of his own, which made her situation slightly better. None of the staff would come down here save on business as everyone was quite wary of the master of secrets. There was the hidden fear that he knew their darkest secrets, which he probably did, but compared to half of the things Lyka knew alone, about ninety-nine percent of their secrets were trivial at best.

Reaching the padded chair behind the desk, she collapsed in it and closed her eyes. Her face was still burning, she could feel it. Behind her closed eyes, she see Link dropping from the loft with that look of concern on his face, the muscles of his entire torso bare and rippling, and sweet Farore was she ever going to stop blushing?! If this kept up, Betsy was defiantly going to find out, and then the rest of Market Town. Nayru knew that girl was lived for gossip, hence the reason why she worked here. Betsy naturally could easily get ahold of any gossip and add to it when needed, but unless she was specifically ordered by Crow himself, any information she knew was available to anyone and everyone. Even a hint of Lyka just thinking a guy was good-looking would become mainstream news. Thank the Goddesses she'd kept quiet about that once dance at the Spring Ball.

With a groan, she folded her arms on the desk and rested her head on them. "There are days I really hate my life," she grumbled.

"Everyone does at some point, my dear." Lyka sat bolt upright, her hand instinctively reaching for her dagger, but she relaxed when she saw Patricia. The matronly housekeeper was in charge of the inn half of the Nest and ran almost the entire establishment during the day. Her hair was greyer than back these days, but she took no nonsense from anyone. She set down the basket of folded sheets she was carrying and sat down in one of the chairs. "Now what's making you say that?"

Lyka shook her head. "It's nothing," she mumbled before pulling open a drawer and rummaging around for the ledger containing the schedule of who was supposed to be in the warehouse at what times. Scanning through it, she saw no one was to be there today, so she could kick anyone in there currently.

Patricia gave her a look."Mm-mmh, nothing is always the problem around here."

Lyka gave a tiny grimace. She should've known better than to attempt to fool Patricia like that. The woman was a surrogate mother to practically everyone in the Nest and wasn't afraid to use that fact to her advantage."If I tell you, please promise me you won't tell Crow," she asked, giving Patricia her best pleading look.

Patricia raised one silver eyebrow. "That depends on what 'it' is."

"It's not bad for everyone else..." Lyka toyed with the end of her hair, refusing to look Patricia in the eye. "It's just...well, you see..."

"Who is he, dear?"

Lyka shot bolt upright. "He? I didn't mention a he! What makes you think there's a he involved?"

Patricia had a knowing smile. "Because only men make your face that red. Now, who is he?"

Lyka took a breath, preparing to deny it, but then released it. Patricia's woman's advice was invaluable at times, and this was definitely a time Lyka desperately needed it. "He's someone that's probably never going to be an option for me."

Patricia leaned forward. "And why is that?"

Lyka slumped. "I can't say much, but I can say he's got a dangerous job to do, and distractions are not an option around him. However, there's probably a thousand other girls, most of them noble, going to try to get him, and when Crow finds out that I kinda like him, it's just going to create an even bigger mess, and I am just so confused as to what I should do about all of this."

Patricia pursed her lips. "Well, that's defiantly a mess. Has he shown any interest in anyone?"

Lyka racked her brain. "Not that I know of, but...I don't know if this makes any difference...he did once ask me to dance when we were at the Spring Ball."

Patricia nodded thoughtfully. "And did he dance with anyone else?"

"Not that I know of." Lyka shrugged.

"Then I think you have a chance." Lyka stared at her as Patricia continued. "One of the largest parties in all of Hyrule, and he dances with only you. However, if he cannot afford distractions now, it would be wise for you to keep your distance until the time is right, but I would advise that you try to help him if you can. Men with dangerous jobs occasionally need a friend to help them through it."

Lyka heaved a sigh of relief, and then gasped. "What about Crow? You know what he's done to everyone I've ever liked."

"Is he a decent sort?" When Lyka nodded, Patricia spread her hands. "Then there you go. Crow is only wanted what is best for you. If this particular young man is not the usual sort we deal with here, Crow can't do much more than glower."

Lyka giggled softly. "Thanks, Patricia."

Patricia inclined her head. "Anytime my dear." Turning, she pulled out a sealed envelope from between the sheets she'd been carrying. "This just came in."

Lyka looked at the seal as she took the envelope. Subtle markings in the wax marked it as from the palace, urgent, and somewhat sensitive in that order, which meant she was allowed to open it. With a frown, she broke the seal and removed a single piece of paper. There were only four handwritten lines, but what they contained made her gasp in shock.

"What is it, dear?" Patricia asked, concern clear on her face and in her voice.

For a moment, Lyka couldn't think. Though marked somewhat-sensitive, the subject matter was anything but, and urgent mark was (for once) grossly underestimating the situation. This needed to be addressed now, but Crow was out. Who could she...?

Instantly, she snapped back in control. Her earlier problem was her solution as this defiantly involved him... "Tell Crow I'll be gone for a while!" she said to Patricia as she ran back towards the stable, the message clutched in her hand. Bursting through the stable door, she glanced around once to ensure no one else was there before racing to Chaser's stall. "Link!"

Link dropped back down (sadly with his shirt on, a tiny part of her mind lamented). "What's wrong?"

Lyka thrust the paper at him and waited, her heart racing, as he read it. He closed his eyes for a moment, but when he opened them again, Lyka felt a little sorry for whoever was responsible. Gone was the likable, cheerful young man she'd come to know at the Spring Ball. In his place was a battle-hardened veteran with cold fire in his eyes.

_Oh, Din, Nayru, and Farore, this isn't going to be good for the idiots behind this._

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Reasons why I'm late: 1, Writer's block (again); 2, job; 3, school (only one class I could write in, and it was the only way I could stay awake in it, to be honest); 4: FINALS (insert scream here); 5: Writing on an iPad is not as much fun as an actual laptop; 6: Had some ideas for an original story I've had kicking around for years.

Honestly sorry about the wait y'all, but that's life, and I do appreciate everyone who's been sticking with me so far, hence why I do my best to make this the best I can do. So, yeah, we are now gearing up towards the...dum dum duuuuummmmm...Water (insert scream here) Temple! But, Link has another crisis in hand! No rest for the Hero, eh?

And what's with the Order of the Knight's below, hmm? Any theories as to what's going on there? Let me know in the reviews!

Now if y'all will excuse me, Ravio borrowed my scarf, and it's getting really cold outside. Maybe I should start charging him for it? Well, that's all for now, so until next time, dragoness of storm, out! See ya!


	20. Here, There, and Everywhere

Thanks to: Riku Uzumaki, c0nceal, ILove2HearULaugh, Freefan1412, and all the unknown readers who have stuck with this and all that jazz, and none of y'all are here to read this so let's just get on with the story.

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><p>It appeared to be a universal fact that anyone with shady intentions always had to hide underground, along with some form of unpleasant substance: lava, mud, etc. Most of the time, a stench was included as well.<p>

It was no exception with this case: in the Market Town sewers with the questionable sludge no one wanted to identify.

Link had a small argument going on in the back of his mind: half of him wanted to save his clogging nose from the smell and breathe through his mouth; the other half really didn't want to have to taste it. It had been going on ever since he'd stepped foot in here, but that debate was not his biggest concern.

His biggest concern was the four handwritten lines on a crumpled piece of paper in his pocket:

_Three Shadows sighted in Market Town_

_Low-level mage alongside_

_Tracked down to the Edge_

_They have Smith_

Who Smith was, Link had no idea, but the mention of shadows and a mage led him to one conclusion: a Mage-Marker. If one was here in Market Town, there was only a matter of time before he found out Avaraleen was actually alive and through him, Zamur. This was a threat that needed to be eliminated before things got out of hand (again) and so he had no hesitation of descending into the sewers to find this mage.

However, his plan had hit a small snag in the form of his companion/guide: Lyka.

"The western part of the sewers are very popular among the Domain," she had said back in the hidden office of the Nest. The two of them were looking down at a map she'd placed on the desk. "It offers a lot quick get-a-ways and hideouts for those who know where to look." She ran her finger along the left edge of the parchment. "But the Edge is considered the worst area of all. No one really controls that area and it holds the worse sort of criminals. You have to be really desperate with deep pockets to employ anyone from there. To be honest, I've been waiting for someone from Zamur's camp to set up there."

Link looked down at the map. "About how big is the Edge?"

"Technically, about a mile long." Lyka's mouth twisted into a grimace as she pulled out a smaller piece of folded parchment from a locked drawer. "But with all the tunnels people have carved out over the years, it's a maze down there. I won't tell you what we had to pay to get a rough sketch of a map for that area."

Link looked down as Lyka smoothed out the parchment. Rough sketch was an accurate description as it was only comprised of basic shapes with very few details marked on it. There appeared to be a central passage leading through the center with smaller ones branching off at random. These smaller ones twisted every which way and intersected until the entire area appeared to be more tunnel than underground, with dead-ends everywhere. This place was definitely a maze.

Lyka pointed to where a series of dead ends where connected by one passage. "If I were part of Zamur's camp, this is where I'd hide as these are the closest to the exit leading out of time. The trick is getting there without running into anything, or anyone, particularly nasty."

Link frowned as he studied the map. If he was looking at it right, just off the main passage was a smaller one that connected to the one with all the dead ends without twisting too much. And considering that the whole area was about a mile long, it shouldn't take him too long to get there. Fighting the Mage-Marker was going to be a different story.

"Alright then," he said, reaching for the map. "I'll grab my sword and head on in-hey!"

Lyka had pulled the map away. "One of the conditions of us getting this was we were never to copy this. Ever." Folding it, she returned the map to its drawer and locked it again. "So I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not." Link shook his head. There was noway he'd risk the wrath of Crow by bringing her into danger. "You're staying here."

Lyka straightened and put a hand on her hip. "Yes I am. As good as you are, I highly doubt you would be able to find your way there. I know that part of the Edge from when I was a runner and I can read the thieves' signs that maybe there. Also, the Smith doesn't know you, so he might not come with you if you got there despite what you say, but he does know me."

Link sighed and looked away, thinking quickly. As much as he really didn't want Crow's, and most likely Avaraleen's, anger, Lyka had raised a valid point, and he really couldn't see a way around it. He turned back to look her straight in the eye. "Fine, you can come, but at the first sign of trouble I want you to get out of there. I don't want Crow or Phoenix after me if you get hurt. We get in, get the Smith, and get out. Deal?"

Lyka smiled. "Deal, as long as we don't mention this to anyone. I have a good feeling Phoenix will kill you if she got wind of you doing this, but you're the only one I know who can handle a Mage-Marker."

Link scratched the back of his head ruefully. He hadn't thought of that. "Meet me in the stables in five minutes."

Now the two of them were stealthy searching the area Lyka believed the Mage-Marker was hiding. There were about a dozen areas to check, and so far the first four had been mercifully empty. The only good thing about where they were now was that there was no more questionable sludge around. Apparently even evil mages avoided it if they could.

Lyka led the way, holding a tiny lantern casting the barest minimum of light. Every now and then she would pause to take a closer look at faint scratches on the wall, often feeling them with the tips of her fingers. Link couldn't make out what the scratches meant, but as long as Lyka appeared to know what they meant, he followed her. He held the Master Sword at the ready, a dark cloth covering its distinctive hilt.

Five more empty caves later, Lyka traced something on the wall and let out a tiny gasp before clapping a hand over her mouth. Link opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but she signaled him to be quiet and backtrack to the last location. "He's in the next one," she whispered shakily when they got there. "I'm sure of it." She dried her palms on the dark pants she'd changed into before entering the sewers.

Link frowned. "What makes you say that?" he asked, keeping his voice on the same level as hers.

She nodded back where they'd been just moments before. "There was a fresh mark on the wall there: a warning sign. There's something deadly up ahead, and I'm willing to bet anything our Mage-Marker is there."

Link nodded as he listened to her. Something told him that their quarry was there, but now his sensible side was screaming at him. Here he was, in a dark sewer, probably about twenty feet away from a mage whose power came from shadows. Oh, and he couldn't see in pitch darkness. Even with the Master Sword, this was going to be tricky. In hindsight, charging in here with the odds stacked against him was a not a good idea. How to do this without Avaraleen finding out...

"You both failed miserably if you were attempting to handle this without anyone noticing." Both Link and Lyka jumped and turned to see Avaraleen glaring at them. She had no lantern of her own, but the faint light of theirs caught her deep frown, emphasized heavily by her dark red eyes. "What in the name of the Three were you two thinking?" she hissed in a barely audible voice.

Link glanced down at the ground for a brief moment before deciding the truth would be the best course of action. "We got a message that a Mage-Marker was around here and had someone known as the Smith."

One of Avaraleen's eyebrows twitched upwards a fraction as she glared at the two of them for a full minute before turning in the direction of the mage's hiding place while muttering darkly under her breath. "I won't fault you two for doing something I shouldn't be doing, but since we're all here, might as well finish the job. What all do you know?"

"We think the mage's in the next cave over, but we don't know for sure," Lyka whispered in a rush. "Someone's put up a warning sign right before the curve leading to the entrance, so the rest of the Edge knows and is leaving this part empty. We backtracked here when I found the mark."

Avaraleen nodded. "You're right, he's there. I can sense his power." She closed her eyes briefly. "He doesn't have any Markers around yet, but, if I'm reading this correctly, he's really annoyed. I'm going to guess Smith is awake and is talking his ear off."

Link furrowed his brow. "If he's talking, why can't we hear him?"

"Standard sound-dampening wards. He can throw a party in there and no one would be the wiser." Avaraleen had a mischievous grin. "Which means no one will hear what's about to happen."

Link hefted the Master Sword so the flat of the blade rested on his shoulder. "So what's the plan?"

"What I'm thinking is a double diversion. Link, you'll go in first and draw his attention and whatever Markers he might conjure. Just worry about the Markers as the mage is mine. Lyka, once the two of us have his entire attention, get Smith out of there. We'll meet at that storehouse the Nest owns, agreed?" Link and Lyka nodded. "Good, but both of you are forgetting one thing: you can't see in the dark. Thankfully, I can help with that." Avaraleen motioned for Link to stand in front of her as she place her left hand over his eyes. At first, all Link could see was darkness, but then there came a sensation of something pressing against his eyes for a split second before it faded. Suddenly he could see the details of Avaraleen's palm. For some reason, it looked faintly red.

"Link, I'm about to pull my hand away," he heard Avaraleen say. "Lyka is behind you with the lantern. Do not look at her as that could cause you to go blind. Understand?" Link nodded, and the hand disappeared.

His entire vision had changed. Before, he could only see a tiny fraction of the cave they were currently in, and with very little detail. Now, he could see all of it, but the walls were not the muddy brown he'd seen from the lantern. They were various shades of grey, absolutely colorless. In his peripheral vision, he could see streaks of white coming from behind him. He turn to see what they were only to have someone roughly shove him back around.

"I told you not to look behind you," he heard Avaraleen growl. "Just stand there for a moment." There came a small gasp from Lyka, and then the white streaks disappeared. Link turned around and saw Lyka looking at her surroundings with a bewildered look. Their eyes met for a moment and both recoiled at the same time. While everything else was in shades of grey, her eyes were now a dark crimson. Judging by her reaction, his were now the same.

"I've temporally adjusted your sight to that of a Sheikah," Avaraleen said, drawing their attention as she stowed the now unlit lantern in her pouch. Her eyes were much darker, but her hair was much redder. "It'll go away once you get near sunlight, but now you can see what's around you."

"Is there a reason why red is the only color I see?" Link asked, looking down at his green tunic. The field green cloth looked so dark, it could be black.

"Best way to explain it, it's the dimmest light a person can see." Avaraleen shrugged. "There's a much more complicated one that might go right over your heads, so don't worry about it. Just know that you can see right now, but avoid any bright lights, as that has blinded a few people in the past." She pulled out what appeared to be a coiled length of chain. "You two ready?"

Link took a deep breath and tightened the grip on the Master Sword before he nodded and advanced back towards the passage. His new vision let him see much farther than before, and in greater detail. He now could see the mark Lyka had seen before etched into the wall at a point where the wall curved into the passage. Around the bend would be the lair of the Mage-Marker, and, to be honest, Link felt rather calm at the moment. Maybe he was starting to get used to all of this...

First impression of the mage: he was an idiot. He had his back squarely to entrance, with no visible guards or Markers, and he had the back of his chosen cavern fairly well lit, which was hurting Link's new sight. He didn't even have a knife on him. Dressed in the same black robes Blaknor had, this one looked every inch a mage who relied solely on his power to deal with conflicts. However, he could easily be hiding a number of weapons in those robes or he really could be a fast working, competent mage. Not to mention there could be invisible traps or something just as nasty hiding in the shadows.

The mage had his entire attention fixed on the figure sitting before him. Hands and feet bound, the little man had bushy dark hair and beard and wore stained leather clothing. Goggles rested on his forehead, but they kept slipping down as he talked. Despite his conditions, he had a large grin on his face and gestured wildly with his bound hands, when he wasn't pushing his goggles back up. The sound dampening spells were doing their job well, as Link couldn't hear anything going on in there.

Link glanced around the cavern, assessing space and footing, as he ghosted forward, making as little sound as possible. The Master Sword was held in a two-handed grip to his left, ready to cleave anything that would appeared. About ten steps in, he must have passed over some invisible line as he could now hear the little man talking a mile a minute.

"-is theoretically possible, but the way you're putting it is. As good as I am, I'm no mage so I really can't do it. I'm just a tinkerer. I have to work with a mage if any of my designs require magic. Anything that requires just straight magic," he threw his hands up as he blew out an exasperated breath. "No can do. Like I said, I'm just a simple tink-"

"_ENOUGH!_" Evidently the mage had had enough as he advanced on his captive. "You will do well to remain silent or you will discover how well you can speak without your tongue!" He growled as the little man closed his mouth with a childish hmph. "Why is it that I, a feared mage of the Interlopers, am saddled with the undignified duty of bringing a peasant nobody to our camp?"

Link decided to answer him. "Because you are an idiot." He smiled as the mage whirled around in shock, his mouth agape. "Seriously, if this is the fortifications of a 'feared mage of the Interlopers,'" he mocked the condescending tone the mage had used before, "then I quiver with anticipation to hear what you think of all of your comrades who've never returned from their missions."

The mage blinked once before extinguishing the candles with a snap of his fingers. "Who are you?" he said in what he must have thought was a commanding tone. To Link, he sounded like a spoiled three-year-old, but he had to give him points for trying, and he'd had a good strategy to put out all the lights to hinder his opponent.

Unfortunately, he must not have thought of a back-up plan against those who could see in the dark. With Link's new night vision, the loss of the candlelight was a good thing as he could know see the trio of short shadows creeping towards him. A single, almost casual, swipe with the Master Sword disintegrated the Markers into wisps of shadow. "I'm on your organization's very long list of people who really don't like you," he replied.

The mage laughed at this. It would have been fairly creepy if Link couldn't see exactly where he was. Instead, it was just plain annoying. "Ah, I see, just as I see you must be very foolhardy to come here alone."

"Whoever said he was alone?" Link kept his eyes on the mage just in case he was about to summon more Markers as something flickered at the edge of his vision. Another Marker, this one twice as big as the previous three, loomed up before him. This one was a bit quicker and showed a bit more fight. Link traded a few blows with it before an opening appeared and he sliced its head off its shoulders, reducing it to black smoke. Glancing around, he noticed the little man was gone and Lyka was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully those two had made it out of the Edge safely.

Turning to where he'd last seen the mage, he raised an eyebrow at the sight of Avaraleen standing over the mage, who was lying on the ground with the chain she'd been holding earlier wrapped around his body. One length ran around his neck before it ended. Avaraleen held this end while one foot set square between his shoulder blades kept him on the ground.

"Now we can do this one of two ways," she said casually, as though they were having a conversation over dinner. "One, you will tell everything you know about what Zamur is up to and I will make sure you'll die painless. Two, I turn you over to our fellow Sheikah along with my knowledge of that death curse you have on you and let them get the information out of you. Your choice."

The mage spat and cursed. "You have no such power. You cannot stop any curses from Lord Zamur."

Link rolled his eyes. _Lord_ Zamur? Talk about delusions of grandeur.

The corner of Avaraleen's mouth curled up. "You're right. I can't stop it, but I can slow it down so the pain will last twice as long, and I know he makes his curses painful. So," she leaned in closer, "what's is it going to be?"

The mage coughed as he struggled to get free, but a firm yank on the chain stopped him. "Never. I will not betray my master. He will rid this land of those who would oppose our magic and together the Interlopers will rule all!"

Now Avaraleen rolled her eyes. "Oh for crying out loud," she muttered before kneeling so her knee was pressed against his back. "Listen to me, Interloper, and listen well. The days of your precious master are numbered, and when they have ended, there will come a reckoning against him that has not been seen in centuries. Should you not wish to share in it, you will tell me all you know. Otherwise, you will share his fate. Choose your next words wisely."

The eyes of the mage widen and he swallowed visibly. Link glanced between him and Avaraleen. The formal way she had just spoken reminded him of how they'd first met, and he had this feeling she was using her powers a very subtle amount. Quietly, he urged the mage to start talking as he really didn't think Avaraleen's limited patience could be tested any longer.

After a solid minute of silence, the mage cleared his throat. "There you are wrong, shadow dogs. For all your barking and growls, you will not convince me to betray Lord Zamur. The only knowledge I will give you this that of demise." He began to laugh until he choked and shook violently. Avaraleen leapt away, disgust written on her face.

"Suicide curse," she spat as the body continued to twitch. "Apparently he was one of Zamur's more loyal followers if he's willing to take his own life."

Link eyed the body as it now lay mercifully still, his stomach a little queasy. "I thought you said earlier that you could slow down death curses." He shuddered as he recalled his fight with his own all those months ago in the Lost Woods.

She nodded. "I can, if they were cast by someone else. Magic always leaves traces, but if a mage casts a spell on himself, it is impossible for another to distinguish that spell from their personal magic. Suicide curses fall into that category, so I didn't see this coming." She held a hand out towards the body. "You'll want to look away, I'm about to burn that."

Link did so and dancing white streaks flared from behind. Half a minute later, they disappeared. He turned back to see no trace of the body. Not even a scorch mark marred the ground. Looking up at Avaraleen, she shrugged.

"I don't leave evidence I don't want found." She jerked her head back towards the tunnel. "Let's get out of here before someone wanders in here."

Leaving the Edge took less time than getting in, especially with Avaraleen in the lead. She didn't stop to read signs on the walls as Lyka had done, but rather strode through the passages as though she had the ultimate right to be there. Once, a man sauntered out of one, a smug grin on his face, but one look from Avaraleen had his face blanch and run back up the way they came, the dim candle he'd been using falling to the ground.

Link paused to watch him run away before catching up to Avaraleen. "What was that about?" he asked.

"For criminals, the mere sight of Sheikah is never a good thing." She paused when the path began to slope upwards. "Seeing them around their hideouts in what can be considered one of the worst places in the entire kingdoms is cause for panic. Sheikah only come here when on a mission and those are the 'kill first, ask questions later' sort, and no one in their right mind, especially down here, would want to get in their way." She glanced back in the general direction of where the man had gone. "He won't mention us to anyone. Those down here have learned to let them do what they came and not mention it if they want to live to see another day."

Link frowned. "But you're the only Sheikah here," he pointed out.

Avaraleen inclined her head. "Right now, you look like one, and therefore, to everyone who sees you, you are. But don't worry: I won't let anyone know you were impersonating an active Sheikah. Nayru knows I've done it several times."

His frowned deepened as he recalled what all she had told him back in the cabin in the Lost Woods. "But I thought you'd passed the test."

"I did, but there's the simple fact that I ran off before I was 'officially' recognized by the Council." She curled two fingers on the word as she glanced up the passage. "No official recognition, no official orders, ergo, everything I do is illegal regardless of what good I do." She shrugged "I've gotten used to it over the years," she added before he could ask another question. "Thank the Three for the gift-wrap clause. Makes the paperwork so much easier."

All of this was going way over Link's head, but he decided to change the subject before he got confused anymore. "So, what are we waiting on?"

"There's a cloud about to move over the sun." She flashed him a sympathetic smile. "Any light right now can hurt you with your temporary new sight, so I'm waiting to give the least amount of discomfort."

"Oh." Link rubbed his eyes as he glanced around. While being able to see in near-dark was very helpful, the lack of color was very unnerving. "Thanks."

Avaraleen shrugged. "No problem." She peered up the passage again and nodded. Turning around to face Link, she held out her hand. "Now's our chance. Take my hand and keep your eyes on your boots. This will hurt for a little while, but don't look up until you can see the color again. Okay?"

Link nodded and put his hand in hers before looking down at the toes of his boots. A small part of him hoped Avaraleen wouldn't accidentally have him run into anything, but most of him was concentrating on making sure he didn't trip over his own feet. The edges of his vision turned a lighter shade of grey as they slowly walked up the passage. He squinted as the brightness began to hurt his eyes until the sensation of pressure came back for a second. When it passed, he could see the brown sludge coated on his darker brown boots and the green of his tunic.

He glanced up and pulled his hand away from Avaraleen's as he found the light didn't hurt his eyes anymore. "I'm back to normal," he said.

She glanced back at him before looking up at the sun. "Good, because we need to run if we're going to keep this from those who don't need to know."

Link adjusted his baldric. "Lead the way."

It would be sad to admit that he had a hard time keeping up with her had she not been the daughter of two races known for speed. That being said, he did fairly well as he never lost sight of her as she led him to a dilapidated warehouse situated by the river. Then again, she was probably making sure she _didn't_ lose him. Once he caught up with her, she knocked twice on the sagging door before pushing it open and going inside, Link not far behind.

Lyka held a pair of daggers in her hands as she stood protectively before the little man, but she relaxed as she saw Avaraleen and Link come into view. "What took you so long?" she asked as her daggers disappeared into her sleeves.

Link could hear Avaraleen growl he followed her to the other two. "Chance to get information didn't work out the way I'd thought."

Lyka grimaced as she crossed her arms. "Well, that's never good." She gestured at the little man. "At least we got the Smith back."

The man looked up at this from what he was tinkering with in his lap. "Like I wanted to go where he wanted," he said. "Wherever that was." He squinted at Link. "Well, I haven't seen you before, but as you're still alive in the company of these two ladies, you must be of a good sort. They call me the Smith." He stuck out a hand.

Link took it. "Link." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Avaraleen smiling slightly, as though hearing an old joke.

The Smith's eyes widened more than one would think possible. "So you're that one!" he all but shouted. "Din fry my hide, I've been wanting to meet you for a while, lad!"

The dull clinks of rupees drew their attention to Avaraleen and Lyka as the older dropped two reds and a yellow into the younger's hand. "I heard him call on Nayru last time," Avaraleen remarked.

Lyka shrugged as she pocketed the crystals. "You weren't around when he found out you were back. That's when he used Farore."

Chuckling, the Smith slapped Link on the knee. "I always call on the Goddesses in turn, so some folk who don't see me regular make bets on who I'll call next." He tsked at Avaraleen. "You should've known better than to bet again lil' Lyka here, Phoenix."

Avaraleen scowled at Lyka, but there was little malice in it. "She's rubbing off on me, what can I say?"

Lyka didn't say anything and looked at the ground, her face turning red.

Still chuckling, the Smith rose to his feet. "Now, now, that's enough out of both of you, unless you want me to do the same." He walked over to where an old table stood in a corner. "Come on over here lad. There's something I want to show you."

Link glanced over at Avaraleen. "Do you think we qualify as lads?" she said with a raised eyebrow as she gestured at herself and Lyka.

He walked over to the table to see an interesting yet weird looking object resting on it. About a foot long overall, a cylinder of blue metal made up most of the length, with a thin chain wrapped tightly around the middle. A large arrowhead protruded at one end with a handle at the other. "What is this?" he asked.

"That, lad, is my latest invention: the hook-shot." The Smith beamed proudly, as though it was his own child. "Based it off of the idea of the claw-shots your predecessor is said to once have, though it's a shame no one can find them. What I wouldn't give to get a chance to study some of his tools." His eyes misted over for a few moments as he blankly stared at the wall, obviously lost in thought, but then he shook his head to return to the present. "Anyways, word has it that you've been dungeon-crawling through the various temples along with some Terminan in order to keep out them Interlopers, right?"

Link struggled to keep a neutral expression as he glanced over at Avaraleen. Somehow the local gossip had gotten close to what was really going on. "Something like that."

"Eh, don't worry. I'm not the sort who needs to know all the details." The Smith waved a hand carelessly towards the hook-shot. "I only like making stuff that's useful to folks." He pick it up and held it out towards Link. "Take a look at this beauty."

Gingerly, Link held it by the handle as the Smith walked him through how it worked. The arrowhead was attached to the chain while sitting on a tightly coiled spring. On the inside of the handle was an indention right about where his forefinger curled around. This was the trigger: the right amount of pressure would release the spring and launch the arrowhead towards his target, dragging its end of the chain. As the chain was uncoiling, it would be rotating the bar it was coiled around, which would wind up another spring. When the point hit the target or the chain reach its end (whichever came first), the second spring would cause the bar to spin back the opposite direction, rewinding the chain to pull the handle and the point back together. Depending on what the point was attached determined whether he would stay on the ground or go flying in the air. Once the two halves reconnected, the point would release whatever it had been aimed at.

"Now that point can only hit wood or softer material," the Smith said, "but it should do just fine against some monsters. Save yourself some arrows that way."

"Wait, what?" Link looked over at him, very confused. "Are you giving this to me?"

The Smith gave him a "nah-duh" look. "You saved Hyrule once, supposedly are still cleaning it up, and you took time out of your schedule to come save my hide. Consider this my thanks. 'Sides, I have a feeling you're going need it soon."

"Oh, heh, it was no problem." Link glanced over at Avaraleen, who nodded assuredly. "So I just aim this at wood?"

"Wood and vines are the best anchors. Dirt's a bit hit or miss." The Smith shrugged. "I think that's the medium's problem. Anyway," he pushed Link's arm up so the hook-shot was aimed in the general direction of a crossbeam, "just aim and fire away."

His eyes narrowed in concentration, Link centered his aim on the beam and pulled the trigger. A loud thock launched the point to embed it into the wood. Link had a moment to marvel at his aim before the chain recoiled and he went flying towards the point. The two halves connected and the point released, dropping him unceremoniously on his rear.

Lying on his back, he took a moment to comprehend what all had happened before raising the hook-shot to regard it with a raised eyebrow. "I'm going to need to practice with this thing," he remarked.

Peals of laughter had him turn to see both Avaraleen and Lyka doubled over with laughter as the Smith came towards him with a grin. "I think so," he said as he offered Link a hand.

Link let the little man help pull him to his feet while glaring at the two women. "Am I ever going to live this down?" he asked.

The Smith shrugged. "Practice with that and see who's laughing when you can pickpocket at a distance."

Link gave him a mischievous smile as he examined his newest piece of equipment. "That's not a bad idea."

Avaraleen immediately stopped laughing. "Oh, no you don't, young man. You're not to learn any more bad habits than you already know."

Glancing over at her, Link gave her his best pleading look. "What if they're monsters?"

Avaraleen glowered at him. "Monsters are fine, just no people." Though she turned away from him, he could still here her mutter to Lyka: "I hate it when men used that puppy-eyed look! There's hardly any defense against it!" Lyka merely shrugged in reply.

Looking back at the Smith, Link asked, "Was I supposed to hear any of that?"

The Smith shrugged. "From my limited experience with women, it might be better to act like you didn't," he said quietly. "Might, now. When it comes to women, I'm quite certain men will never know everything about them." He clapped him on the shoulder. "But don't you worry about any of that now. You're young, and you've got bigger fish to fry in the future."

"Excuse me." Everyone turned to see a boy of about twelve standing at the door, a bag slung over his shoulder. He pulled out a sealed scroll. "I'm supposed to deliver this to give this to Lyka."

Lyka came forward and took the scroll, dropping a blue rupee in the boy's hand. He tapped his forehead with his knuckle and scampered out just before Lyka broke the seal. Scanning the contents, she passed the scroll to Avaraleen.

"It's from Crow," the older woman said, flashing a look towards the Smith.

The Smith grunted. "I'll take my leave then." He shook hands with Link. "Make sure you practice with that hook-shot, and have fun storming your next dungeon!" He nodded to Avaraleen, gave a hug to Lyka, and strolled out of the warehouse.

Avaraleen came closer. "Word just came from Azure. Shadows have been seen near Lake Hylia, but Azure only has 'an idea of an idea,' his words, not mine, of how to get the three of you into the Water Temple." She looked down at the scroll. "He wants me to join him there as soon as possible."

Link blinked. "They're moving fast."

Avaraleen shrugged. "I'm actually not that surprised. We've proven twice so far that we can beat them in head to head confrontation without me, so most likely he's changed tactics of going for the pure magicks as quick as he can. One thing I now can say: Link, they will be focused on you. They were looking for something in your room and I highly doubt they found it." She began chewing her lower lip. "My guess is that they were trying to find any written instructions I might have left on how all of this is supposed to work. As if I was ever that stupid, but it never hurts to check." With a sigh, she pulled out her black scarf and wrapped over the lower half of her face and yanked up her hood. "Well, I'm off. Lyka, get a message to Ichor and Ella that I'm gone and will contact them when Azure and I finally figure out how to get everyone into the Water Temple. Link, stay out of sight, but be ready to ride out at a moment's notice. None of you better get into any trouble or so help, I will find you and tear it out of your hide." With that, she disappeared out the door.

Link exchanged a shrug and _well-that's-what-she's-like_ glance with Lyka before heading for the door. "Seems like you're getting all the fun stuff," he remarked as the two of them walked out at a more sedate pace.

Lyka scoffed and shook her head. "If by 'fun' you mean running around the castle as a maid delivering secret messages while trying to avoid everyone in the castle that thinks I'm a real maid and having me do various chores, then yes."

"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad," Link replied with a smile.

The smile faded when she glared him in a manner eerily similar to Avaraleen. "Yes it is. There is a reason why no one wants to do the laundry there."

ooo0ooo

_Because no one wants to deal with that earl's underwear ever again._

Staying alert for that one chief maid, Lyka carried a basket of mending under her arm as she casually wandered towards the part of the castle where visiting dignitaries where housed. There were several gardens in that direction and it was not uncommon for maids to be sewing outside on days like this, as long as they cleared out before a lot of nobles showed up.

Lyka had lost count of how many messages she had deliver to various people in the castle over the years, and with the amount of work she had been pressed into doing her, she should probably demand a maid's pay every time she set foot in this huge marble pile called Hyrule Castle. Working in a tavern that was also an inn had taught her how much cleaning a building needs when a lot of people flow through it regularly, but it was ridiculous when this snub-nosed brat of some noble demanded the already gleaming floors of her quarters be scrubbed again because _someone_ split the crumbs of a pastry there. Considering there was a plate of the same pastries very near the offending crumbs and this particular guest was a common headache for the rest of the staff, no one hard really tried to find the one responsible for releasing a harmless grass snake in her room.

Smiling slightly at the memory, Lyka rounded a corner and almost immediately ducked behind a suit of armor. Lord Dotour and Ichor stood in the middle of the empty passageway, having a very heated argument in low tones. Purposely spilling some of the mending on the ground to give her an excuse for crouching behind a suit of armor, Lyka resisted the urge to peer out to watch them and contented herself with just listening.

"-don't need to be going along with this, Ikana," Dotour hissed.

Ichor grumbled deep in his chest. "This is much bigger than the two of us. Zamur controls all Interlopers. Should he fall, the rest will can be hunted down or vanish altogether."

"Oh really?" Dotour must be crossing arms now. "Then tell me what is it exactly that you and that boy are doing traipsing all over Hyrule."

"We are hunting important mages of the Interlopers. The exact details do not concern you."

"I beg your pardon, but this does concern me! As the head of the highest House in Termina-!"

"You are obligated to ensure the safety of your people. That is why you pressed me to come when I should be guarding the Stone Tower."

"A desolate ruin. I don't know what your people are so afraid of."

Another low grumble. "Be glad of that, but know this: I have sworn to protect my people, and if that means 'traipsing around Hyrule with that boy' as you put it, then I will do so. I trust Link with my life." There came a pause. "Which is more than I can say about you." Heavy footsteps echoed towards Lyka as Ichor walked away from Dotour.

Quickly, Lyka scrambled around her, messing up the mending she'd spilled earlier while looking as though she was trying to pick it all up. She glanced up as Ichor stormed past and bit her lip. Ichor looked to be in a foul mood and definitely not wanting to hear about Avaraleen leaving town. However, she had to give him the message, and the less people who knew, the better.

Shoving all the mending back into the basket, she braced it on her hip and sighed before rising to her feet. She had only taken a single step, though, when someone asked, "Haven't I seen you before?"

Lyka whirled around, one of her wrist daggers half-hidden in her hand. Behind her stood a tiny figure wrapped in a brown shawl-like robe. The eyes glowed from the dark hood and in one hand the figure held a knife larger than hers. All in all, the figure was very imposing, making Lyka want to back away slowly, but somehow, she seemed to know this person. "Do we have a mutual friend who's always wearing green?" she countered, thinking the mention of Link would be a safe bet.

"Perhaps." The figure made no move to put away the dagger. "Does he have an acquaintance with a certain priestess who is highly protective of him?"

Lyka hesitated for a moment. While no one outside of the Council knew Avaraleen was even still alive, even the acknowledgment of someone unknown to the public keeping an eye on Link could give the other side a hint that all was not as it seemed to be. "Maybe."

The figure was silent for a moment, then nodded. "You were the girl in red at the Spring Ball. The one who brought the Dodongo skin."

A flash of recognition shot through Lyka, and she eased up a little. "And you are Ichor's shadow."

Again the figure (Ella, if Lyka remembered correctly) nodded and both sheathed their daggers at the same time. Ella glanced around nervously. "We need to speak where there are fewer ears."

Lyka saw an entrance to a servant's passage and nodded towards it. "Follow me." She paused and turned to face Ella. "Unless you need to stay near your charge?"

Glancing down where Ichor had just gone, Ella shook her head. "With that expression, he's either going to a practice court or a tavern, and the only protection that will be needed will be for those that might annoy him. He will be fine."

Lyka glanced down the hall herself. "If that's the case, I hope he goes down to the Nest. There's always some idiots that need to be thrown out, and he might get a free drink if he does."

Ella laughed and followed Lyka as the Hylian lead the way to one of the most secluded spots in the entire castle. Very few people ever went there, and it was easy to see anyone coming within earshot. As far as she knew, this was just another ornamental part of the castle that was just there to make an unused place pretty.

She had been warned against assuming anything, and this came back to bite her when she rounded the last corner and saw none other than Princess Zelda herself sitting on a bench in the middle of the garden. Lyka froze and backed up quickly, Ella running into her, but following suit when Lyka made a shooing motion. They moved to go back the way they came, but a fully armed and masked Shiekah stood in their path. Lyka flinched. "Oh sweet shiitake mushrooms and snake-skins," she breathed, combining two of Avaraleen's favorite phrases.

The Sheikah blinked once. "Where did you learn that phrase?" he demanded.

Lyka swallowed nervously. She had to play this right or more than just her neck would be on the line. "From a friend," she replied icily, propping a hand on her hip.

The Sheikah flicked his eyes towards Ella before returning his crimson gaze to Lyka. "Would this friend happen to be a certain priestess?"

It was all Lyka could do not to blink or roll her eyes in annoyance. _Is that becoming a code phrase now?_ "Maybe."

"Aren? Is something the matter?" Now she had to bite her lip from cursing out loud as Princess Zelda came up behind them. _This is so not my day,_ she grumbled silently.

Turning, she curtsied (though for the love of Nayru, she still couldn't keep herself from wobbling slightly) to the princess, keeping her gaze to the ground. She was going to cling to her cover as a maid as long as possible. "Your highness." She peered through her lashes to see the princess frowning in concentration.

"You were the young lady with Link at the Spring Ball," Zelda stated. "A friend of the priestess."

For a moment, Lyka remained silent, thinking quickly. According to Avaraleen, Zelda had a part to play in this quest thing, therefore knowing what was going on, and her current Sheikah guards had once been Avaraleen's before her "death." Coming to a decision, she dropped her maid demeanor and looked the princess in the eye. "Yep, that was me."

Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good." She turned to Ella. "And you must be Ichor's guardian, Ella of the Garo, yes?" She smiled as Ella nodded. "Well, then, what brings you to my private garden?"

Private garden?! Oh, you really know how to pick them. Lyka grimaced apologetically and gestured at Ella. "I need to pass on some information and this was the most secure spot I knew of. I didn't know this was yours."

Zelda slumped. Sure, there might be a more politically correct term, but when a girl slumped, she slumped. "Oh, I understand," she said in a small voice.

Lyka felt like she had just been kicked in the stomach. There was disappointment in Zelda's eyes, as though she knew once again she was not allowed to know something concerned with what she was involved in. Everyone who had their ear to the ground around here knew of the demands the Interlopers had given the King, and how the Princess was practically under house-arrest. Zelda was not allowed to do anything about the situation she'd be thrust into save what she could through other people. Though this had to be terrifying for anyone in this situation, it also had to be extremely boring if one couldn't do anything productive.

An idea came to Lyka, but she glanced over at Ella, one eyebrow raised a tiny fraction. This was dependent on the Garo as she was the reason why the two of them were here in the first place. Ella was motionless for a few moments, but then she nodded.

"How would you like to know how things are outside the walls?" Ella asked.

ooo0ooo

The tavern side of the Crow's Nest was packed, and it was hardly eight in the evening. Link sat at a table half-hidden in a dark corner, drinking cider and watching the mass of people milling all over the place. Most of the house gamblers' tables were filled and were among the noisiest as the men there praised their gain, cursed bad luck, and yelled at the top of their lungs for more drinks. Serving girls in their black dresses weaved in and out of the mass with practiced ease, smacking away hands that strayed too close for comfort. Everyone and then, a flash of steel had to emphasize the point, and once a large man threw a pair bodily out the door.

All in all, a typical night at the Nest.

"Need a refill, hon?" Link looked up at Marlene, a rather curvy brunette. He had to keep his gaze firmly on the table as she leaned in closer. "Or would you like something a little stronger?"

Link glanced down at his tankard and saw it was still mostly full. "No, thanks. I'm good."

She pouted and gave his arm a squeeze. "Well, you holler if you need anything, sugar."

Link snorted when she was out of earshot and took a swig of cider. Evidently men his age were supposed ignorant of a lot of things. Too bad for her, he'd gathered quite a few favors among his former squad-mates covering watch-shifts for them while they snuck into town.

Taking another swig, he about choked when he saw Ichor walk through the door. What was he doing here? Did something happen at the castle? Surreptitiously, he signaled a nearby serving girl and quietly asked her to send Ichor his way. A moment later, the Terminan all but fell into an empty chair next to Link.

"Are there any swamps nearby that none go to?" he growled in a low voice.

Link raised an eyebrow. This kind of question could only mean one thing. "Whose body are you trying to hide?"

"A certain diplomatic noble." Ichor signaled for a serving girl and asked for ale.

Link waited for her to leave before asking, "Dotour?"

Another low growl confirmed it. "He believes our 'jaunts throughout the countryside' are a waste of time and energy on my behalf as none of this is my concern."

Link drank deep from his tankard to hide his face. Dotour had a point: what Avaraleen was up to concern only Hyrule. Ichor was only along really as extra muscle to ensure Link himself survived. This really didn't concern the youngest son of Ikana royalty. "What do you think?" he asked quielty.

Ichor crossed his arms. "While what you and the priestess are doing does not concern me and mine, what does concern us is the true leader of the Interlopers. Termina has enough trouble without the Interlopers returning. When I became a warrior in full, I swore to protect my people. I was the one to initially confront the Interlopers. I am here to ensure they do not return. Every temple we go through rids Zamur of one of his mages. The time will come when we will confront him and bring down his cult, freeing both of our peoples from his shadow and ourselves from this particular duty. Until then, we are bound by honor to finish what we have begun."

Link set his tankard down and stared into its depths for a few moment. Ichor had said some pretty profound things, many, if not all, of which Link felt strongly about himself. This was indeed a fight only they could finish, as Ichor had been the only one to confront Majora in Termina, and Link was still slightly haunted with the fact his entire squad had been destroyed by Karamus. If they couldn't finish this, then who could?

Taking another drink, Link glanced sidelong at Ichor and decided to change subjects, slightly. "Did you get the message from the priestess?"

Scowling, Ichor shook his head before taking a swig of ale. "I believe I saw her messenger, but I, ah, was not in a fit mood to hear anything until I had torn something apart." He chuckled darkly. "I own one of the practice courts several new practice logs."

Link shrugged. "Don't say anything, and everyone will blame the Sheikah. It's not the first time someone will find nothing to practice with because they've had a bad day. Anyways, the priestess has gone ahead to help out an aquatic friend in regards to us getting into our next fun-filled adventure. She's to contact us when it's time."

Ichor grunted. "In other words, don't unpack all the way." He drained the rest of his tankard and set it down with a bang. "Well, shall we drink away our sorrows of overbearing nobles?" He flashed a predator's grin. "Word has is around the castle that one general of yours is still determined to have you back under his command."

Link groaned, once again thankful he was not at the castle and having to deal with Logan. "One of these days he will get the hint that I'm not under his command at this time. In fact, I'll probably never be under his command after this." At Ichor's questioning look, Link continued, "I'm thinking of leaving the army and going back home to the ranch."

To his surprise, Ichor nodded. "An adventure such as this is enough for anyone. But let us take our minds off these dark thoughts and drink away our annoyances of over-bearing nobles!" He turned and roared out for more drinks.

When they came, the two of them raised their tankards. "Begone, ye noble annoyances!"

"If I say that as well, can I join you?" Link and Ichor looked up to see a young man standing at their table. Link frowned: this newcomer looked familiar, but his clothes, though they were plain and sturdy, were well-made, and the sword half-concealed at his hip with his cloak said he had money.

"Do we know you?" Link asked, allowing a warning edge enter his voice. No one ever knew exactly who you'd might meet in this place.

"In a manner. We saw each other at the Spring Ball." The stranger shifted, and Link caught a glimpse of a burnt-orange insignia on his shoulder.

"Sir Fernald." Link inclined his head and glanced over at Ichor. The Terminian was scowling slightly, not knowing exactly how to deal with this newcomer.

"I'm not here to figure out what you all are up to, as I believe you've got enough blue-blooded idiots trying without my help," Fernald stated bluntly. "I'm just here to drink away my own noble annoyances."

Glancing again towards Ichor, Link shrugged, and then Ichor nodded and pushed out a chair with his foot. "Come then and tell us your grievances."

Fernald grimaced as he took the offered seat. "Long story short: there's this girl I like, but trying to court her has gotten so near impossible, I'm tempted to join you two in your dungeon-diving."

"How is that going to help you?" Link had to ask. He could say from first-hand experience: dungeon-diving was not fun.

Fernald accepted a tankard from a serving girl and took a deep drink. "Practice for when I just want to see her," he said darkly, keeping his gaze on the table.

"Who is this particular girl?" Ichor inquired. "She must be a rare jewel for one to need to practice just to see."

Fernald turned red. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he muttered.

Link leaned forward. "And you're talking to two guys whose stories would only be topped by some of the Sheikah, so spill."

Fernald took another swig from his tankard and mumbled something that was lost in all the background noise.

"Sorry, didn't catch that," Link said with a grin, leaning forward. Ichor also leaned in on his elbows.

Fernald sighed. "Princess Zelda," he repeated just a hair louder.

Link sat back, eyebrow raised. "Really?"

"Not for the reasons you're thinking," Fernald replied quickly. He looked up to meet both Link's and Ichor's gazes. "I have no interest in lording over everyone like the rest of them. I've heard enough about the council from my father to stay away from there for as long as possible. No, I'm trying to court the Princess because unlike the vast majority of girls her age, she actually thinks for herself beyond fashion and whatever else is involved with that. She cares for people and isn't afraid to speak her mind." He sighed and dropped his head in his hands. "But thanks to our lovely Interloper friends, I can't do more than send some very pathetic love notes like the rest of the idiots who just want the throne and fancy crown."

"And I thought my luck with girls was bad," Link muttered quietly, and then nearly smacked himself when the other two glanced at him. Obviously they'd heard him. "None of your business," he said firmly.

"Uh huh." Fernald leaned back with a wicked glint in his eye. "Sure. We'll get back to you later. Anyways, I'm just here to get away from rest of the lovesick idiots who are currently attempting to write a petition to the King to have them form a guard of knights to guard the Princess."

Link snickered, remembering the Avaraleen testing her new "bodyguards." "Evidently your friends do not know about her current bodyguards."

"Oh, they know about them, they just think they can do a better job than a pair of highly trained Shiekah. Like I said, they're idiots." Fernald shook his head. "You have to understand: no one outside the Royal Family trusts the Shiekah, and even then there have been rumors that even they don't trust their own secret force. My opinion is this: I stay out of their way, they stay out of mine." He took a swig. "Worked out so far. So...what's your girl problem?"

Link just happened to be in the middle of a huge gulp. The question caught him off guard and he choked, nearly spitting his cider back into his tankard. "What?" he managed to gasp after a few minutes.

Fernald raised his eyebrow. "We heard your comment about your luck with girls earlier." He gestured to himself and Ichor, the big man nodding in agreement. "I've told you my problem. What's yours?"

Sensing he was not going to get out of this so easily, Link decided to give as little information as possible. "Over-protective father."

"Over-protective as in he's watching you every time you're near her or he's sharpened his sword in front of you when he first met you?" Link shot him a glance and Fernald raised his hands. "Actually happened once, swear to Nayru."

Link folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Over-protective as in he'll make me disappear if I hurt her in anyway, and he never had to say that out loud."

"Ooo, tough luck there." Fernald turned to Ichor. "What about you, Champion? Have a girl back home?" As Ichor remained silent, Fernald leaned in closer. "Come on, we shared ours. Surely there's one back home, even if she's down right annoying."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Ichor. We shared our secrets."

Ichor grunted. "It is very...delicate with me. My love and I go back many years, but...there are complications between my family and hers. It is not something I wish to talk about."

Fernald _hmm_ed. "Is she worth it though?"

Ichor glowered at him. "Is yours?"

"Yes." Fernald raised his tankard. "To the women we love and the circumstances that prevent us from getting anywhere with them."

"Cheers." All three drank drained their tankards, slammed them down, and turned as one to call out for more.

For the first time in his life, Link felt comfortable. Sure, he had friends in the Army and Royal Guard, but ever since he'd left home almost three years ago, his closest friend was Chaser, and there were some situations when venting out to a horse just wasn't enough. Lately, Ichor had gone from a companion ensuring he stayed alive to practically trust-worthy comrade. As they all began swapping war stories, Link began to get the same feeling from Fernald.

While the majority of the military had been focused on the border between the desert and Hyrule Field, the young knight had been high in command of a small force near the southern border. A band of brigades had attempted to take opportunity of the war to raid the unaffected areas. As Fernald's family owned an estate in the area, his knowledge of the land had been crucial in routing out the brigands and minimizing the damage in the area. His efforts had been recognized by the King, although he said it hadn't been necessary since he'd been little more than a wood's guide in the whole thing.

"I just did what I normally do when I'm home," Fernald finished, setting down his tankard. "Father has me keep an eye out around the nearby villages while delivering what supplies Mother sends with me."

"Sounds like your parents are different," Link commented. Catching the look on Fernald's face, he added, "In a good way. You normally don't hear about nobles like that."

"Yeah, well, my family has a history of not following social norms." Fernald shrugged. "We dare to care about our people because we believe we have been born to privilege and with that comes obligations. Or so goes the family motto." He took a deep drink. "My philosophy is this: I do my duties, you do yours, and we'll all get along just fine don't care about riches or power or any of that. I'm content with what I have, with the exception of one thing, which is our mutual problem."

"I'll drink to that again," Ichor half-roared, raising his fourth tankard. They all laughed and once again drained their tankards simultaneously.

""Scuse me, sir." Link turned to see one of the stable boys standing at his elbow, looking a little worried. "There's something up with your horse. 'E's been stomping at the floor and snorting for the past few minutes. Ain't nothing we can do to calm 'im down, and to be frank, ain't no one want to go near him."

Link frowned. "Something's up with Chaser," he said to the others, "I'll be back in a few."

Following the boy back out to the stables, he heard the commotion before he saw it: a regular thumping sound punctuated by angry snorts. Once inside, he saw Chaser glaring at the floor of his stall, ears pinned back, teeth bared, intent on pounding something into oblivion. Another stable boy stood just outside the stall, shaking his head. Catching sight of Link, he threw up his hands. "I ain't sure what's 'e's up to, sir. T'ain't no snake as far as I can tell."

Link flipped the boys a blue rupee apiece. "I'll take it from here. Thanks." He waited for the two of them to leave before slowly approaching the stallion. "Hey there, Chaser. Take it easy, boy. I'm pretty sure you killed it by now. Easy now, just calm down."

The stallion's frenzied movements slowed, and the ears came up as he heard his master's voice. Breathing heavily, he looked up from the floor and nickered. Still moving slowly, Link pulled out a carrot and held it out in his palm. Chaser sniffed his hand for a moment before gently taking the carrot. Link heaved a sigh; had Chaser snatched the carrot or ignored it completely, he would've known something was still wrong. As such, Chaser had dealt with the problem and had simply been caught up in the moment.

Running his hand along the long muzzle, Link came close enough to see the stall floor. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary, but the light was limited to a lantern set on a pole outside. No one wanted to risk any type of flame near the stable. Still keeping his hand on Chaser's muzzle, Link entered the stall himself. It didn't appear as though someone had tried to climb the ladder or anything like that. As a last resort, he picked up Chaser's front hooves one by one, but found nothing.

"What was going on here, Chaser?" he asked quietly, rubbing the stallion's ears. He sighed. "If only you could talk." Chaser snorted and butted his head against Link's chest. "Yes, yes, I love you too. Cart horse." He slapped the muscular neck a few times before he left the stall. As usual, his shirt was now covered in horsehair, and a streak of black dirt crossed his palm. _And I was wondering why a horse was my only friend._

ooo0ooo

If only Chaser could talk indeed.

The stallion stomped the ground once more for good measure as he watched his master leave. He was sure his master-friend had no idea what he had just pounded into the ground. In fact, he didn't know himself, and that frightened him. It was no fire-blood snake or no-friend-human or foul-smell-monster. Well, the scent was like foul-smell-monster, but foul-smell-monsters were at least knee-high to him. This...thing, while it had a similar scent, had been on the ground like a fire-blood snake and looked like a shadow.

It had been heading for the branches master-friend told him to guard against no-friend-humans. Although it had not gone past the point master-friend had told him to guard against, master-friend had never been mad at him for destroying foul-smell-monsters. As this thing stayed close to the ground, the best way to deal with it was to stomp it until he could no longer see or smell it.

It wasn't until master-friend appeared that Chaser realized the foul-smell-monster-shadow was gone, pounded into the ground under his hooves. Master-friend couldn't see what had happen, but master-friend was a good hunter. He would know to watch his back when Chaser wasn't around to help protect him. He need not worry about master-friend.

Now just where did that salty-sweet-mare go?

ooo0ooo

Five days later, Link, Ichor, and Ella arrived at a small cottage on the shores of Lake Hylia late in the afternoon. An elderly female Zora sat outside by the door, shelling beans into a bowl at her feet, a bemused smile on her face. From the other side of the door came muffled shouts of a familiar voice.

"Oh, how very elegant. I am always so amazed at your ability to present your flattery with such grace." A pause, and then the voice came back. "Why, how dare you insinuate that, you-? I am not!"

"Hello, dears," the Zora said, giving the three of them a warm smile. "I suppose you are here to see your friends inside. Well, they've at that for the past, oh, must be at least four days now. I'm surprised anything got done, but what can you say? Some people work under the strangest circumstances." She sighed. "Ah well. One of life's mysteries, eh? Come, lend me a hand and we'll see if we can get them to stop arguing like an old married couple."

Link exchanged a smirk between Ichor and Ella before the three of them dismounted. They were definitely at the right place. After tethering Chaser and Steady to a pole nearby, Link helped the Zora to her feet as Ichor took charge of the bushel of beans and Ella picked up the bowl of shelled beans. The four of them walked inside the cottage to find a very strange sight.

The cottage itself was simple, reminding Link very much of Avaraleen's former residence in the Lost Woods, but a deep pool had been built beside the wall nearest the lake. Avaraleen herself was nowhere to be seen, but her boots, belt, and various weapons were lying near the edge. Azure also stood there, hands on his hips. He spared the newcomers single glance before returning his glare back into the depths of the pool and flinched. "Will you stop that!" he shouted.

Link shot a look at the Zora he was helping. She was still smiling and shook her head ruefully. "I warned you," she said. Utterly confused, he helped her to a chair before peering into the pool himself.

Avaraleen was sitting with her legs crossed at the bottom of the pool, eyes closed. One hand was clenched before her in a tight fist while the other was above her head, moving rapidly in motions Link recognized as Sheikah hand signals. He only knew some from the two-week Sheikah training he got in basic, but judging by Azure's reactions, she was insulting him.

Link rolled his eyes at the scene. "Did you call us here for a reason, or is now not a good time?" he called.

Avaraleen didn't even open her eyes, but her free hand stopped in mid-motion for a second before forming two signals he did know, _disregard last, standby,_ and then dropped down to her side.

Link shook his head. If she had been doing that the entire time, it was indeed amazing she'd gotten anything done, but something had been done, otherwise she wouldn't have called all of them here. The question then was: what was going to enable three air-breathing humans to dungeon crawl through a temple situated in the underwater heart of Lake Hylia? Speaking of which, how was she able to? There was no stream of bubbles coming from her mouth. In fact, she didn't appear to be moving at all. Maybe she had accomplished something here despite the heated conversations that had apparently been going on the entire time.

Avaraleen remained at the bottom of the pool for two more minutes before she pushed off the bottom and came to the surface. Link reached out a hand to help her out, but she shook her head. "Hang on a moment," she said, looking around. "Oh for the love of Nayru, Azure, what did you do with that bucket?"

If Zoras had eyebrows, Azure's would've flown off his forehead. "Oh, now it is MY fault when YOU misplace things?"

"Azure!" Avaraleen's eyes narrowed dangerously as she swam over to the edge and propped one arm the other she kept below the surface. "This is not the time to be arguing. There's an Interloper mage on the other side of this lake and she's brought something with her that I have no idea what it is, which, to be completely honest, extremely worries me. I left that bucket near my boots. Now where is it?"

Azure opened his mouth to retort, but the elderly Zora cleared her throat. "It's by the fireplace, Azure, where you left it when you were gathering the seaweed this morning." She shook her head as Azure retrieved the bucket. "But I still do not understand what it is you are sensing, Avaraleen, as the only wrongness I can feel comes from that Interloper. However, I do understand you are more sensitive to the ebb and flow of all magicks."

"I know, Ayi, but it just the fact that I don't even have a clue of what it is what worries me." Avaraleen chewed on her lower lip as she glanced over at Link, Ichor, and Ella. "I'll apologize for being rather short, but things have been hectic since came here. I'll explain what I can over dinner." Azure handed her the bucket, which she pushed under the water to fill it with water as she dropped whatever she's been holding in her hand inside. She set the bucket on the edge of the pool before accepting Link's offer of helping her out of the pool.

"How long have you been in there?" Link asked, seeing her soaked hair and clothing.

"Practically the entire time," Avaraleen replied, wringing out her hair as steam rose off her clothes. "It's not that bad once you're used to it."

"Uh huh, and how are we to get used to it?" Link gestured at himself and the other air-breathing beings in the area.

Avaraleen gave her trademark wry smile. "With Plan B...or am I actually on Plan H? I've lost track."

Ichor gave a low chuckle. "And just how many plans do you have in store?"

"Enough to be a few steps ahead of the opposition," Avaraleen said, tying back her now-dry hair. "I hope," she added quietly.

There came an awkward silence in the room for a few moments, but then the silence was broken by Ayi. "Let us eat now, and discuss what is to be done."

Ten minutes later, the six of them settle around a table laden with baked fish and what appeared to be a seaweed salad. Link and Ichor exchanged an apprehensive glance, Ella remained expression, but the other three dug into the meal with no reservations. With a tiny shrug, Link tried a bite of the seaweed and decided he was going to stick with the fish. "So what's the situation here?" he asked after a majority of them had finished eating.

Avaraleen put her fork down. "Phorma got here about the same time as me, but not once has she made a move towards the temple. However, she didn't come alone, and whatever she brought with her is what's waiting for you inside."

"But you don't know what it is," Link clarified.

Avaraleen nodded. "It's made of magic, but it's not natural." Her eyes closed. "It feels...divine, in essence, but.. There's something wrong, somehow there is a strain of demonic in the core. Ah, it feels familiar, but I just can't-"

"Avaraleen!" Link, Ayi, and Azure cried out.

Her eyes shot open. 'What?"

"Your nose is bleeding," Ella replied, nodding towards her.

Link watched with concern as Avaraleen looked at the smear of blood she'd wiped from her upper lip and sighed. Although Link knew little about magic, it was obvious to him whatever she'd been doing lately had been taking a toll on her.

Ayi confirmed this. "You've been pushing yourself too far. There is only so much your body can withstand."

"Yes, I know." Avaraleen leaned back, crossing her arms. "But we're on a time schedule. Zamur said he was to strike at Midsummer, but I wouldn't put it past him to actually strike sooner."

"But I thought he needed the pure magicks for whatever he's doing?" Link asked. "And so far, we have two of them with a third almost guaranteed."

"And I wouldn't put it past him to have several contingency plans on stand-by," Avaraleen retorted, standing up and beginning to pace back and forth. "Besides, everything I've heard points to him basing this off of demonic magic. The more corrupt a source is, the better for him, hence why he's racing us. All he really needs is your sword and the Princess." She shook her head. "But let me worry about that. Right now, you four need to focus on the Water Temple tomorrow." Retrieving the bucket, she set it on the table and fished something out. Link caught a glimpse of gold before it dissolved away.

Avaraleen cursed. "Well, looks like we're doing it that way." Shaking the water off her hand, she looked over at Link, Ichor, and Ella. "I'm afraid I haven't been quite successful this time around. Azure managed to get ahold of a handful of golden Zora scales. Normally these scales allow Hylians to dive deeper than they normally can. I've managed to enchant these so they'll allow to breathe underwater. However, there is one major flaw I couldn't fix. The scales will only work underwater. Any exposure to air will destroy them. I'm sorry, but it's the best I could do now."

"It is better than what we had before," Ella said. "We must just exercise a bit more caution in there."

Azure cleared his throat. "Not more than usual. Unlike the other temples, the Water Temple does not have many monsters, but I fear this is because Zamur has sent this...thing here."

"If he only sent one thing there, we better be on our guard," Link said. "He wouldn't send in one monster if it was the usual stupid sort. This one's smart. We won't be hunting it, it'll be hunting us." Catching the questioning glances shot his way, he shrugged. "Call it a gut feeling."

"Link is right," Ichor grunted. "He sends an army of stupid creatures, he sends one smart one."

Azure sighed. "So this will be a game of cat-and-mouse, as you Hylians say."

"No, Azure." Avaraleen was replacing all her weapons on her person. "With Zamur, it's cat and cat."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: And I make my deadline by a day! Yeah, I know, I've been taking forever on this, but I blame an extreme case of writer's block and the fact that the Water Temple is the next chapter. Insert scream here. To show you how bad it was, one of my friends had been watching me work on this all semester, and he flat out asked, "Will you have this chapter done by next semester?" Yeah, it's been that bad.<p>

But hey, now it's done, and I can look forward to my summer reading while subconsciously figuring out how the heck I'm going to do this water-logged temple. Yes, I expect there to be a sleuth of water-related puns in it, if I don't get bogged down...again. Okay I'll stop.

However, as I have taken quite a while to get this out, I will give y'all a sneak peek, the opening lines of the next chapter:

"Uh-oh."

"Not it."

"What?"

"If he's saying 'uh-oh' because we need another key that's at the bottom of this Goddess-forsaken temple, I'm not going."

Do with it what you will, but if I bring back any painful memories, I'm sorry. Maybe.

Okay, I'm just going to stop now and hopefully get a jump start on the next, before that Lakeside Scientist kicks me out of his home again. Like I'm weird. He's the one with the sharked caged at the bottom of that pool. Well, that's all for now, so until next time, dragoness of storm, out! See ya!


End file.
